[2][3][4] In 1879, Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac (1817–1894) claimed to have discovered ytterbium, but he had found a mixture of elements.

Two other chemists, Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858–1929) and Charles James (1880–1926) also extracted lutetium(III) oxide around the same time.

All three scientists successfully separated Marignac's ytterbia into oxides of two elements which were eventually named ytterbium and lutetium).

James' separation was of very high quality, but Urbain and Auer von Welsbach published before him.

Lutetium(III) oxide is used as a catalyst in cracking, alkylation, hydrogenation, and polymerization.