Editing Thulium (section)

==Production==
Thulium is principally extracted from [[monazite]] ores (~0.007% thulium) found in river sands, through [[ion exchange]]. Newer ion-exchange and solvent-extraction techniques have led to easier separation of the rare earths, which has yielded much lower costs for thulium production. The principal sources today are the ion [[adsorption]] clays of southern China. In these, where about two-thirds of the total rare-earth content is yttrium, thulium is about 0.5% (or about tied with [[lutetium]] for rarity).<ref name="history" />

The metal can be isolated through [[redox|reduction]] of its oxide with [[lanthanum]] metal or by [[calcium]] reduction in a closed container. None of thulium's natural [[chemical compound|compounds]] are commercially important. In 2001, approximately 50 tonnes per year of thulium oxide were produced.<ref name="history" /> In 1996, thulium oxide cost US$20 per gram, and in 2005, 99%-pure thulium metal powder cost US$70 per gram.<ref name="CRC">{{cite book |author= Hammond, C. R. |chapter=The Elements|title= Handbook of Chemistry and Physics|edition= 81st |publisher= CRC press |date= 2000 |isbn= 0-8493-0481-4}}</ref>