Lutetium

Lutetium, the metal in its pure state, is similar to the other rare earth elements in that it is silver-white, corrosion-resistant, and corresponds to its position in the Periodic Table of the Elements; it is the heaviest and hardest of all the rare earth elements.Lutetium is very difficult to extract, and it is one of the most valuable of the rare earth elements, and is extremely difficult to obtain. Its use is also very limited, but it is used by oil refineries as a catalyst for cracking hydrocarbons, in other words, Lutetium breaks down hydrocarbons into simpler molecules.