| Origin of Name |
From the Greek dysprositos, meaning hard to get at |
| Date and Place of Discovery |
In 1886 in France |
| Discovered by |
Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran |
| Common Compounds |
-
Dysprosium chloride (DyCl3)
- Dysprosium fluoride (DyF3)
- Dysprosium iodide (DyI3)
- Dysprosium oxide (DyO3)
- Dysprosium sulfate [Dy2(SO4)3]
|
| Interesting facts |
- It is not found freely in nature, but is found in minerals like:
xenotime,
fergusonite,
gadolinite,
euxenite,
polycrase,
blomstrandine,
monazite and
bastnasite
- Most of it is mined from clay ores in sourthern China.
- It is stable in air at room temperature.
- When it dilutes with mineral acids, hydrogen is emitted.
- It oxides very easily.
- It can be cut with bolt-cutters, but not with a knife.
- It is very paramagnetic.
- Its characteristics are affected by small amounts of impurities.
|
| Common Uses |
- Laser materials
- Nuclear control rods
- Nuclear reactors
- Compact discs
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Nano-magnets
|
