Dysprosium

Terbium - Dysprosium - Holmium Dy Cf       Full table
General
Name, Symbol, Number	Dysprosium, Dy, 66
Chemical series	Lanthanides
Group, Period, Block	_ , 6 , f
Density, Hardness	8551 kg/m3, no data
Appearance	silvery white
Atomic properties
Atomic weight	162.500(1) amu
Atomic radius (calc.)	175 (228) pm
Covalent radius	no data
van der Waals radius	no data
Electron configuration	[Xe]6s6s²4f10
e- 's per energy level	2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2
Oxidation states (Oxide)	3 (weak base)
Crystal structure	Hexagonal
Physical properties
State of matter	solid (__)
Melting point	1680 K (2565 °F)
Boiling point	2840 K (4653 °F)
Molar volume	19.01 ×1010-3 m3/mol
Heat of vaporization	230 kJ/mol
Heat of fusion	11.06 kJ/mol
Vapor pressure	no data
Velocity of sound	2170 m/s at 293.15 K
Miscellaneous
Electronegativity	1.22 (Pauling scale)
Specific heat capacity	170 J/(kg*K)
Electrical conductivity	1.08 106/m ohm
Thermal conductivity	10.7 W/(m*K)
1st ionization potential	573.0 kJ/mol
2nd ionization potential	1130 kJ/mol
3rd ionization potential	2200 kJ/mol
4th ionization potential	3990 kJ/mol
Most stable isotopes
iso NA half-life DM DE MeV DP 154Dy {syn.} 3.0E+6 y &alpha 2.947 150Gd 156Dy 0.06% 156Dy is stable with 90 neutrons 158Dy 0.10% 158Dy is stable with 92 neutrons 160Dy 2.34% 160Dy is stable with 94 neutrons 161Dy 18.91% 161Dy is stable with 95 neutrons 162Dy 25.51% 162Dy is stable with 96 neutrons 163Dy 24.90% 163Dy is stable with 97 neutrons 164Dy 28.18% 164Dy is stable with 98 neutrons
SI units & STP are used except where noted.

Dysprosium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Dy and atomic number 66.

Notable characteristics

Dysprosium is a rare earth element that has a metallic, bright silver luster, relatively stable in air at room temperature, but dissolving readily in dilute or concentrated mineral acids with the emission of Hydrogen. It is soft enough to be cut with a knife, and can be machined without sparking if overheating is avoided. Dysprosium's characteristics can be greatly affected even by small amounts of impurities.

Applications

History

Dysprosium was first identified in Paris in 1886 by French chemist Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran; however, the element itself was not isolated in relatively pure form until after the development of ion exchange and metallographic reduction techniques in the 1950s. The name Dysprosium is derived from Greek dysprositos, "hard to get at".

Biological role

Dysprosium does not have any known biological properties.

Occurrence

Dysprosium is never encountered as the free element, but is found in many minerals, including xenotime, fergusonite, gadolinite, euxenite, polycrase, blomstrandine, monazite and bastnasite, often with Erbium and Holmium or other rare earth elements.

Compounds

Dysprosium compounds include:

• Fluorides
  • DyF₃
• Chlorides
  • DyCl₂
  • DyCl₃
• Bromides
  • DyBr₂
  • DyBr₃
• Iodides
  • DyI₂
  • DyI₃
• Oxides
  • Dy₂O₃
• Sulfides
  • Dy₂S₃
• Nitrides
  • DyN

Precautions

All dysprosium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic. The metal dust presents a fire and explosion hazard.

External links

• WebElements.com - Dysprosium
• EnvironmentalChemistry.com - Dysprosium
• It's Elemental - Dysprosium