Dysprosium
dis-PRO-si-em
Dysprosium (Dy) is a silvery coloured metal that has the atomic number 66 in the periodic table. It is a Lanthanide metal. It has the symbol Dy.
Dysprosium is one of the 15 rare earth elements and was discovered in 1886 but was not available commercially till 1950. Through the discovery of the mineral Yttria in Sweden (a mineral made of 9 different elements) it took many years to separate them all out. It was not until 1886 when French chemist Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran was able to separate it out. Dysprosium is relatively unreactive and does not oxidise easily and it does not exist naturally in the earths crust. Dysprosium is used in nuclear reactions due to its ability to soak up neutrons. It is a solid metal at room temperature with a melting point of 1407°c and a boiling point of 2567°c.
FAQ's
Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
1886
Uses
Its uses are limited to the experimental and esoteric.
Sources
Usually found with erbium, holmium and other rare earths in some minerals such as monazite sand, which is often 50% rare earth by weight.
About the author
Nathan M
Nathan has a degree in BSc Biomedical Chemistry at Warwick University and a degree in PGCE Science at Wolverhampton University, UK. Nathan's subject matter ranges from general chemistry and organic chemistry. Nathan also created the curriculum on Breaking Atom in the course page.
Citation
Dy
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