Dysprosium
History
In 1886, the Frenchman P.E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran succeeded in isolating dysprosium oxide from a sample of holmium oxide, which until then had been considered a single substance. Due to the very similar chemical properties of the lanthanides and their constant coexistence in nature, distinguishing them was only possible with very complex analytical methods. Its contribution to the composition of the Earth's crust is given as 0.00042 percent by weight.
Properties
The silvery-gray heavy metal is malleable and ductile. It is very reactive and thus very prone to oxidation: it oxidizes in air, gets attacked by water, and dissolves in diluted acid. In its oxide form, it is a beige-yellow powder.
| Eigenschaft | Wert |
|---|---|
Schmelzpunkt | 1407 °C |
Siedepunkt | 2567 °C |
Spezifisches Gewicht | 6,48 g/cm³ |
Massenanteile/Erdhülle | 4,3 ppm |
Farbe | silbergrau |
Jahresproduktion | ca. 100t |
Hauptproduzenten | China |
Verwendung | Energiesparlampen, Elektroautos, Permanentmagnete, Laserwerkstoffe, CD/DVD |
Application Areas
Similar to Neodymium, Dysprosium possesses strong magnetic properties. Dysprosium is used in permanent magnets, serves as a shielding material for nuclear reactors, and is utilized in energy-saving lamps. Additionally, it is used in the manufacturing of laser materials, glass, halogen lamps, and CDs.
Outlook
Since the current production volume is less than 100 tons per year and Dysprosium is one of the most important rare earth elements due to its significance for extremely heat-resistant permanent magnets, a strong increase in Dysprosium demand is expected.
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