Rubidium

The rubidium is a chemical element, of symbol Rb and Atomic number 37. It is a alkaline, slackness and silver plated Métal which becomes liquid towards 40° C.

Its name comes from the Latin rubidus (red dark), because of red color of the spectral lines which made it possible to detect it.

The presence of rubidium was established in 1861 by Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff in the spectral lines of the Lépidolite. It was insulated the following year by Bunsen.

Like other alkaline metals, it ignites spontaneously in the air and reacts violently with the Eau.

Production

One finds it in the form of traces (Rb2O, RbCl) in ores:
  • carnallite KMgCl3.6H2O
  • lepidolite K (Li, Al) 3 (If, Al) 4O10
  • KAlSi2O6 leucite can contain 1 to rubidium 2% subsituant with the Potassium
  • the pullucite (Cs, Na) 2Al2S4O10
  • the triphyline LiFe+2PO4
One also finds some in mineral water (6.10-5) and the sea water (2.10-5).

Isotopes

Among the 24 Isotope S of rubidium, only two are present in the ores; 85Rb (72,2%) and the Radioactive 87Rb (27,8%).

Composed

Four oxides of rubidium are known: Rb2 O, Rb2O2, Rb2O3 and RbO2.

The others common compounds are the chloride RbCl, the RbF fluoride, and Rb2SO4 sulfates it.

Uses

  • photovoltaic Cells: it is used out of alloy with the Césium.

  • Safety glass: the carbonate addition of rubidium (Rb2CO3) or rubidium oxide (Rb2O) makes it possible to obtain safety glass by Trempage.
  • Examination of the perfusion of the Myocardium: because of its similarity with the Potassium, the radioactive isotope transmitting positons, the 82Rb, of short half-life (75 seconds), is used like an indicator of Ischémie in Mtoe.
  • Atomic clock: hyperfine transition from 87Rb to 6,834682612 GHz. The use of this transition makes it possible to obtain with compact commercial clocks and from low cost a relative stability of frequency of 5×10-11 (either a possible error of 1 second on a little more than 600 years). There exist also clocks called " fountains atomiques" , functioning with 87Rb cooled and handled by laser, which reach relative stabilities of frequency much better, ranging between 10-13 and 10-14 (see for example the site of the laboratory of French metrology: http://lne-syrte.obspm.fr/).
  • Sensor of gas for Cathode tube and electron Tube: one uses it like Getter (gas sensor) to perfect the vacuum.
  • Is used to manufacture certain drugs Nooanaleptique S.
  • It is sometimes used to obtain the color violet in the Fireworks

Simple: Rubidium

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