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Dysprosium (Dy) is a soft, silvery-white, rare-earth metal of the lanthanide series with atomic number 66. Named for its "hard to obtain" nature, it is a key component in high-performance neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnetsused in electric vehicles and wind turbines to prevent magnetism loss at high temperatures. It also functions in nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber and in other technologies like computer hard drives and laser materials.
Key Properties
- Reactivity: Slowly oxidizes in air and is dissolved by acids.
- Discovery: Discovered in 1886 by the French chemist Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
- Appearance: A bright, metallic silver luster.
- Physical state: Soft enough to be cut with a knife.
- Magnets:
Essential for the performance of NdFeB magnets, especially their high-temperature stability, which is crucial for electric motors in EVs and wind turbine generators.
- Nuclear Reactors:
Its ability to capture neutrons makes it useful in nuclear fuel rods to control reactions.
- Electronics:
Used in computer hard drives, electronic equipment, and components for laser materials.
- Other Applications:
Found in oil-refining catalysts and infrared beam devices when mixed with other elements.
- Dysprosium is mined from minerals like monazite and is extracted through processes like ion exchange.
- China has historically dominated production, though other regions are working to secure stable, non-Chinese supplies, notes the Minor Metals Trade Association.