Dysprosium

Introduction

Element is a chemical species that contains only one type of atom, and they have characteristics, physical and chemical properties. Elements are also discovered by human beings by extracting them from the earth and by artificial synthesis. Dysprosium is also one such element with characteristic properties like other elements. Dysprosium was discovered by Paul-Émile Lecoq in 1886. The name d ysprosium is derived from the word 'dysprositos', a Greek word that means rare. Pure Dysprosium was obtained after the discovery of ion-exchange chromatography by Frank Spedding in 1950. And now the extraction of such rare earth elements is done with the help of liquid-liquid exchange.

What is Dysprosium?

Dysprosium is an f block element found in the lanthanide series. It is present in period 6 of the periodic table with the atomic number 66. And are a metallic element. It is found naturally in minerals such as monazite and bastnaesite. And also, in xenotime and fergusonite in small quantities. They can be extracted from these minerals by ion exchange and solvent extraction methods.

The use of dysprosium is very limited because of its high reactivity with oxygen and water. Unlike other lanthanides, dysprosium is not found in its elemental form in nature. It is a silvery-white appeared soft metal so it can be cut with the help of a knife as well. Dysprosium turnings burn white-hot and ignite quickly. There are several brightly coloured salts for this element. It has the highest magnetic moment strength and highest direction of pull along with holmium. The abundance of this element is more than tin. It produces 100 tonnes per year worldwide. About 99% of Dysprosium is manufactured in China. It is mainly present in ion-adsorption clay ores that are in China.

History

Dysprosium was first discovered by the scientist Paul-Émile Lecoq in the year 1886. And is identified in Paris. But this element was not extracted or collected at that time. He used a procedure that involves the dissolution of Dysprosium oxide in acid and then hydroxide is precipitated after the addition of Ammonia. Later more than 30 attempts have been made by following this procedure. Then named it Dysprosium. But it again took a further 8 years to extract this element. And it became possible after the discovery of ion-exchange chromatography in the year 1950. By the commercial extraction of yttrium, it is obtained as a by-product too.

W. Oelen, Dysprosium1, CC BY-SA 3.0

Properties of Dysprosium

As an element, the properties of Dysprosium are very distinct and some of its properties are tabulated below.

Dysprosium	Dy
Atomic number	66
Group	Lanthanide
Block	f block
Physical State	Solid
Electron configuration	$\mathrm{[Xe]4f^{10}6s^{2}}$
Period	6
Boiling point	2567°𝐶
Melting point	1412°C
Key isotopes	$\mathrm{Dy_{164}}$
Atomic mass	162.5
Density	8.55𝑔𝑐𝑚−3
Electronegativity	1.22
Covalent radius	1.8Å
Ionisation energies	573.017𝑘𝐽 𝑚𝑜𝑙−1
Atomic radius	2.31Å

Uses of Dysprosium

The uses of Dysprosium are detailed below.

• In nuclear reactor control dysprosium oxide-nickel cermet as it readily absorbs neutrons and doesn't contract or swell.

• In halide discharge lamb Dysprosium iodide is used.

• It is used as an alloying addition for increasing the Curie point of $\mathrm{Nd_{2}Fe_{14}B}$, a permanent magnetic substance.

• It is used for making phosphor activators.

• It is used for making laser materials.

• In dosimeters, it is present for monitoring the ionizing radiation.

• For studying several chemical reactions, it is used as a source of infrared radiation.

• It is used for making several alloys.

• It is used for making a material that has a permanent magnetism.

• It is used in compact discs and hard discs, and data storage applications.

Chemical Properties of Dysprosium

• Dysprosium metal is very stable in dry air, but we converted very readily to its oxide when they are exposed to moist air.

$$\mathrm{4Dy\:+\:3O_{2}\:\rightarrow\:2Dy_{2}O_{3}}$$

So dysprosium (III) oxide is formed.

• It is a highly electropositive metal, so it readily reacts even with cold water.

$$\mathrm{2Dy(s)\:+\:6H_{2}O(l)\:\rightarrow\:2Dy(OH)_{3}(aq)\:+\:3H_{2}(g)}$$

• It will also react with several halogen compounds. The reaction of dysprosium with a halogen is shown below.

$$\mathrm{2Dy(s)\:+\:3I_{2}\:\rightarrow\:2DyI_{3}(s)}$$

And the colour of $\mathrm{DyI_{3}}$ is green.

• A paramagnetic dysprosium (III) sulphate is formed by the reaction of dysprosium with sulphuric acid. The reaction is,

$$\mathrm{2Dy(s)\:+\:3H_{2}SO_{4}(aq)\:\rightarrow\:2Dy^{3+}(aq)\:+\:3SO^{2-}(aq)\:+\:3H_{2}(g)}$$

• Dysprosium chloride and fluoride react with calcium and undergo reduction. The reaction is,

$$\mathrm{3Ca\:+\:2DyF_{3}\:\rightarrow\:2Dy\:+\:3CaF_{2}}$$

$$\mathrm{Li\:+\:DyCl_{3}\:\rightarrow\:Dy\:+\:3LiCl}$$

The other chemical properties of Dysprosium are tabulated below.

Dysprosium	Dy
Specific heat capacity	173 𝐽 𝑘𝑔−1 𝐾−1
Electrical resistivity	$\mathrm{926\:n\Omega.m}$
Crystal structure	Hexagonal close-packed
Thermal conductivity	$\mathrm{10.7\frac{W}{m.K}}$
Magnetic ordering	Paramagnetic

Oxidations states and isotopes

The common oxidation state shown by dysprosium is +3. Mainly found in the𝐷𝑦3+. Isotopes and their atomic masses are tabulated below.

Isotope	Atomic mass
$\mathrm{Dy^{164}}$	163.929
$\mathrm{Dy^{163}}$	162.929
$\mathrm{Dy^{162}}$	161.927
$\mathrm{Dy^{161}}$	160.927
$\mathrm{Dy^{160}}$	159.925
$\mathrm{Dy^{158}}$	157.924
$\mathrm{Dy^{157}}$	155.924

Conclusion

Dysprosium is an element found in an Earth’s crust in its mineral form. It is an F block element present in the lanthanide series. It is very reactive with air and water. It was discovered in the year 1886 by the scientist Paul-Émile Lecoq. The characteristics, physical and chemical properties of this element have made it greater applications in the field of magnetism and alloy manufacturing industry. The atomic number of this element is 66. The use of this element is very wide and it is produced annually about 100 tonnes. And the major contribution to its production is from the country China. And the common Oxidation state of the element is a + 3. There are many isotopes for this element.

FAQs

1. Is Dysprosium toxic?

The toxicity of dysprosium depends on the corresponding salt. Some soluble salt of dysprosium is toxic when someone ingests it. It is toxic when someone consumed more than 500 grams of this compound. While insoluble salt of dysprosium is not a toxic chemical.

2. Does dysprosium possess any biological role?

Dysprosium does not possess any biological role in plants and animals. So, they are not a pollutant to the environment.

3. What is demagnetisation?

The process of removal of magnetic properties of metal upon heating is a demagnetisation. As dysprosium is a metal that resists the property demagnetization it is widely used as an alloy for several materials such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, etc.

4. Is dysprosium flammable?

Dysprosium oxide and Dysprosium fluoride are non-flammable compounds.

5. Is dysprosium a conductor of electricity?

Dysprosium is a good conductor of electricity with an electrical conductivity of $\mathrm{1.1\:\times\:106\frac{s}{m}}$.