Periodic Table

Dysprosium

Lanthanide

Quick Facts about Dysprosium

Tb
  • solid- state of matter at room temperature
  • Stable- has at least one stable isotope
  • +3- common oxidation states in compounds
  • HEX- crystal structure, atomic arrangement in solid form
Ho

Dysprosium (Dy) is element 66 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Dy: 162.5000 u. Dy is in period 6. Melting point of Dy: 1680.00 K.Density of Dy: 8.54 g/cm³.

Why Dysprosium Matters

Dysprosium in everyday life and industry

In Your Home

  • EV motors and e-bike motors use Dy-enhanced magnets
  • High-end hard drives may contain dysprosium in their magnets

Industry Uses

Renewable EnergyWind turbine generators need Dy-doped magnets to survive temperature cycling
AutomotiveEV traction motors require Dy for thermal stability during high-power operation
NuclearControl rods use Dy's high neutron capture cross-section

In Your Body

✗ Not essential

Dysprosium has no known biological role. No significant biological research applications.

Safety: Low toxicity. Some compounds may be mildly irritating. No significant environmental or health concerns from normal use.

Discovery of Dysprosium

Discovered by Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in France, 1886

Name origin: Greek: dysprositos (hard to get at).

History & Events

1886
Named from Greek 'dysprositos' meaning hard to get
1886
Discovered by Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886
1886
Required over 30 attempts to purify from holmium
1886
One of the most difficult rare earths to isolate

About Dysprosium

Silvery lanthanide named from Greek 'dysprositos' (hard to get)—it took 30+ separation attempts. Seven stable isotopes. Has the highest magnetic susceptibility of any element at low temperatures. Critical for high-temperature NdFeB magnets; adding a few percent Dy dramatically improves thermal stability. Discovered 1886 by Lecoq de Boisbaudran.

Atomic Properties of Dy

Atomic Number of Dy
66
Atomic Mass of Dy
162.5000 u
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f10 6s2
Electronegativity
1.22
Block
f-block
Group
—
Period
6

Physical Properties of Dy

Phase (STP)
solid
Melting Point of Dy
1680.00 K
Boiling Point of Dy
2840.00 K
Density of Dy
8.5400 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Heat of Vaporization
291.00 kJ/mol
Specific Heat
0.17 J/g·K
Molar Heat Capacity
28.16 J/mol·K
Thermal Conductivity
10.70 W/m·K

Atomic Radii

Calculated
175 pm
Covalent
167 pm
Van der Waals
231 pm

Common Misconceptions

Wrong:Dysprosium is just a minor additive to magnets.
Correct:A few percent Dy raises NdFeB magnets' operating temperature from ~80°C to 200°C+. Without it, EV motors and wind turbines would overheat and demagnetize.
Wrong:Dysprosium is still 'hard to get' as its name suggests.
Correct:While historically difficult to separate, modern ion-exchange and solvent extraction produce tons annually. It's expensive but commercially available.
Wrong:Pure neodymium magnets are fine for all applications.
Correct:Pure NdFeB loses magnetism rapidly above 80°C. For EVs, wind turbines, and industrial motors, Dy doping is essential—there's no substitute.

Isotopes of Dysprosium

Dysprosium has 7 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 2 notable radioactive isotopes.

IsotopeAtomic Mass (u)AbundanceHalf-LifeDecay Mode
14966Dy (Dy-149)Dysprosium-149 isotope148.9273220%4.2 minutesα, EC
15666Dy (Dy-156)Dysprosium-156 isotope155.92428470.0560%——
15866Dy (Dy-158)Dysprosium-158 isotope157.92441590.0950%——
16066Dy (Dy-160)Dysprosium-160 isotope159.92520462.329%——
16166Dy (Dy-161)Dysprosium-161 isotope160.926940518.89%——
16266Dy (Dy-162)Dysprosium-162 isotope161.926805625.47%——
16366Dy (Dy-163)Dysprosium-163 isotope162.928738324.90%——
16466Dy (Dy-164)Dysprosium-164 isotope163.929181928.26%——
16566Dy (Dy-165)Dysprosium-165 isotope164.93170330%2.334 hoursβ⁻

Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)

Isotope Applications

Isotopes of Dysprosium have important real-world applications in science and industry.

Industrial Applications

The isotopes of dysprosium are highly magnetic and have been the subject of physics research involving interactions of isotopes and the structure of lattice supersolids (spatially ordered material with superfluid properties, i.e. zero viscosity). The Magneto-Optical Trapping (MOT) chamber is used for slowing atoms (isotopes) to study the physics of neutral atoms by using a laser light to cool atoms (“Doppler cooling”) and magnetic quadrupole fields to slow and “trap” the neutral atoms (Fig. IUPAC.66.1) [462], [463]. 164Dy has a large neutron absorption cross section, so dysprosium is used for control rods [464]. 161Dy has been a key isotope for studying the Mössbauer Effect, which is the resonance and absorption of gamma ray emissions on nearby atoms in a solid state [465].

Medical Applications

165Dy (with a half-life of 140 min) is commonly used in arthritis therapy (radiosynovectomy). Rheumatic inflammation of the membranes of joints is often treated by the injection of 165Dy-ferric oxide directly into the joint space of the knee. Leakage from the joint has been shown to be minimal [467].

Abundance

Earth's Crust
5.2 mg/kg
Seawater
9.10×10-7 mg/L

Uses

Critical additive to NdFeB magnets—raises their maximum operating temperature from ~80°C to 200°C+. Essential for EV motors, wind turbines, and any high-temperature magnet application.

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.

Geochemistry

Goldschmidt
litophile
Geochemical Class
rare earth & related

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