铷在地壳中含量比较丰富,最大的锂云母矿是在非洲和加拿大,含氧化铷约2—4％。美国,金属铷及其化合物是从加拿大进口锂云母进行生产或从铯榴石中回收。 1983年,美国铷的消耗量约590公斤,估计约80％用于研究和发展磁流体发电(MHD),15％用于电子学和5％用于化学。至本世纪末,美国铷耗的予期年平均增长率为3.1％,世界其它国家则稍低于美国。铷发现于1861年,但直至1920年,工业上应用极其有限。大约1958—1975年,铷是从锂 Rubidium is abundant in the earth’s crust. The largest lepidolite in Africa and Canada contains about 2-4% of rubidium oxide. In the United States, metallic rubidium and its compounds are produced from the import of lithium micas in Canada or recovered from pollucias. In 1983, the U.S. consumption of rubidium was about 590 kilograms, with an estimated 80% used for research and development of MHD, 15% for electronics and 5% for chemistry. By the end of this century, the expected average annual growth rate of US rubidium consumption is 3.1%, while the rest of the world is slightly lower than the United States. Rubidium was discovered in 1861, but until 1920, industrial applications were extremely limited. About 1958-1975, rubidium is from lithium