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Periodic Table
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Dysprosium

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Dysprosium

Atomic Mass	162.500
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s24f10
Oxidation States	+3
Year Discovered	1886

Dysprosium

Atomic Mass	162.500
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s24f10
Oxidation States	+3
Year Discovered	1886

Identifiers

Element Name	Dysprosium
Element Symbol	Dy
InChI	InChI=1S/Dy
InChIKey	KBQHZAAAGSGFKK-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Properties

Atomic Weight	162.500(1) 162.500 162.5 162.500(1)
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s²4f¹⁰
Atomic Radius	Van der Waals Atomic Radius : 229 pm (Van der Waals) Empirical Atomic Radius : 175pm (Empirical) Covalent Atomic Radius : 192(7) pm (Covalent)
Oxidation States	+3 3, 2, 1 (a basic oxide)
Ground Level	⁵I₈
Ionization Energy	5.939 eV 5.939061 ± 0.000006 eV
Electronegativity	Pauling Scale Electronegativity : 1.22(Pauling Scale)
Atomic Spectra	Lines Holdings Levels Holdings
Physical Description	Solid
Element Classification	Metal
Element Period Number	6
Element Group Number	- Lanthanide
Density	8.55 grams per cubic centimeter
Melting Point	1685 K (1412°C or 2574°F) 1407°C
Boiling Point	2840 K (2567°C or 4653°F) 2562°C
Estimated Crustal Abundance	5.2 milligrams per kilogram
Estimated Oceanic Abundance	9.1×10^-7 milligrams per liter

History

The name derives from the Greek dysprositos for "hard to get at", owing to the difficulty in separating this rare earth element from a holmium mineral in which it was found. It was discovered by the Swiss chemist Marc Delafontaine in the mineral samarskite in 1878 and called philippia. Philippia was subsequently thought to be a mixture of terbium and yttrium. It was later rediscovered in a holmium sample by the French chemist Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886, who was then credited with the discovery. Dysprosium was first isolated by the French chemist Georges Urbain in 1906.

Dysprosium was discovered by Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, a French chemist, in 1886 as an impurity in erbia, the oxide of erbium. The metal was isolated by Georges Urbain, another French chemist, in 1906. Pure samples of dysprosium were first produced in the 1950s. Today, dysprosium is primarily obtained through an ion exchange process from monazite sand ((Ce, La, Th, Nd, Y)PO4), a material rich in rare earth elements.

From the Greek word dysprositos, meaning hard to get at. Dysprosium was discovered in 1886 by Lecoq de Boisbaudran, but not isolated. Neither the oxide nor the metal was available in relatively pure form until 1950, when the development of ion-exchange separation and metallographic reduction techniques were created by Spedding and associates. Dysprosium occurs along with other so-called rare-earth or lanthanide elements in a variety of minerals such as xenotime, fergusonite, gadolinite, euxenite, polycrase, and blomstrandine. The most important sources, however, are from monaziate and bastnasite. Dysprosium can be prepared by reduction of the trifluoride with calcium.

Historical Atomic Weights

Year	Atomic Weight (uncertainty) [u]	Reference
2001	162.500(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200375081107
1969	162.50(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197021010091
1961	162.50	https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00881a001
1955	162.51	https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01595a001
1931	162.46	https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9310001617
1925	162.52	https://doi.org/10.1039/CT9252700913
1908	162.5	https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01943a001

Historical Isotopic Abundances

Year	Isotope	Abundance (uncertainty)	Reference
2001	¹⁵⁶Dy	0.000 56(3)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁵⁸Dy	0.000 95(3)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁶⁰Dy	0.023 29(18)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁶¹Dy	0.188 89(42)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁶²Dy	0.254 75(36)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁶³Dy	0.248 96(42)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
2001	¹⁶⁴Dy	0.282 60(54)	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1836764
1997	¹⁵⁶Dy	0.0006(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁵⁸Dy	0.0010(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁶⁰Dy	0.0234(8)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁶¹Dy	0.1891(24)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁶²Dy	0.2551(26)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁶³Dy	0.2490(16)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁶⁴Dy	0.2818(37)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1989	¹⁵⁶Dy	0.0006(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁵⁸Dy	0.0010(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁶⁰Dy	0.0234(6)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁶¹Dy	0.189(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁶²Dy	0.255(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁶³Dy	0.249(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁶⁴Dy	0.282(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1979	¹⁵⁶Dy	0.0006(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁵⁸Dy	0.0010(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁶⁰Dy	0.0234(4)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁶¹Dy	0.190(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁶²Dy	0.255(4)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁶³Dy	0.249(4)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁶⁴Dy	0.281(4)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1975	¹⁵⁶Dy	0.0006	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁵⁸Dy	0.001	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁶⁰Dy	0.0234	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁶¹Dy	0.189	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁶²Dy	0.255	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁶³Dy	0.249	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁶⁴Dy	0.282	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075

Description

The element has a metallic, bright silver luster. It is relatively stable in air at room temperature, and is readily attacked and dissolved by dilute and concentrated mineral acids, to evolve hydrogen. The metal is soft enough to be cut with a knife and can be machined without sparking if overheating is avoided. Small amounts of impurities can greatly affect its physical properties.

Users

There are no commercial applications for dysprosium. Since it easily absorbs neutrons and has a high melting point, dysprosium might be alloyed with steel for use in nuclear reactors. When combined with vanadium and other rare earth elements, dysprosium is used as a laser material.

Dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3), also known as dysprosia, is combined with nickel and added to a special cement used to cool nuclear reactor rods. Other dysprosium compounds include: dysprosium fluoride (DyF3), dysprosium iodide (DyI3) and dysprosium sulfate (Dy2(SO4)3).

While we have not found many applications for dysprosium, its thermal neutron absorption cross-section and high melting point suggest metallurgical uses in nuclear control applications and for alloying with special stainless steels. A dysprosium oxide-nickel cement has found use in cooling nuclear reactor rods. This cement absorbs neutrons readily without swelling or contracting under prolonged neutron bombardment. In combination with vanadium and other rare earths, dysprosium has been used in making laser materials. Dysprosium-cadmium chalcogenides, as sources of infrared radiation, have been used for studying chemical reactions.

Compounds

See more information at the Dysprosium compound page.

Element Forms

CID	Name	Formula	SMILES	Molecular Weight
23912	dysprosium	Dy	[Dy]	162.500
166954	dysprosium-165	Dy	[165Dy]	164.931709
167438	dysprosium-166	Dy	[166Dy]	165.932813
178181	dysprosium-159	Dy	[159Dy]	158.92575
6442238	dysprosium-157	Dy	[157Dy]	156.92547
44152848	dysprosium-161	Dy	[161Dy]	160.926939
177532	dysprosium-155	Dy	[155Dy]	154.9258
177489	dysprosium-162	Dy	[162Dy]	161.926805
185492	dysprosium(3+)	Dy+3	[Dy+3]	162.500
10125089	dysprosium-164	Dy	[164Dy]	163.929181
10419363	dysprosium-152	Dy	[152Dy]	151.92473
11389607	dysprosium-167	Dy	[167Dy]	166.93568
131708390	dysprosium-156	Dy	[156Dy]	155.92428
131708391	dysprosium-158	Dy	[158Dy]	157.92441
131708392	dysprosium-160	Dy	[160Dy]	159.925204
131708393	dysprosium-163	Dy	[163Dy]	162.928737

Isotopes

Stable Isotope Count	7

Isotopes in Industry

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].

Fig. IUPAC.66.1: Magneto-Optical Trapping (MOT) of isotopes of dysprosium. (Used with permission from: Prof. Benjamin Lev, Stanford University) [466].

[462] S. H. Youn, M. Lu, U. Ray, B. L. Lev. Am. Phys. Soc. Phys. Rev. A.82, 043425 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.043425.

[463] C. M. Elliott. First Dysprosium MOT, Physics Illinois-University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2017), Feb. 28; http://engineering.illinois.edu/news/article/2009-07-31-first-dysprosium-mot.

[464] V. E. Ceron, J. G. Hirsch. Phys. Lett. B471, 1 (1999).

[465] R. L. Cohen. Phys. Rev.137, 1809 (1965).

[466] B. Lev. Research-Announcing the World’s First Dysprosium MOT (Magneto-Optical Trap)! Stanford University (2017), Feb. 28; http://levlab.stanford.edu/news-events/worlds-first-dy-mot.

Isotopes in Medicine

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].

[467] C. B. Sledge, J. D. Zuckerman, M. R. Zalutsky, R. W. Atcher, S. Shortkroff, D. R. Lionberger, H. A. Rose, B. J. Hurson, P. A. Lankenner, R. J. Anderson, W. A. Bloomer. Arthritis Rheum.29, 153 (1986).

Isotopes Used as a Source of Radioactive Isotope(s)

164Dy is used to produce 166Dy (with a half-life of 3.4 days) via double neutron capture [468], [469], [470]. 166Dy, which decays to 166Ho, is used in cancer and arthritis therapy [468], [471].

[468] D. Ma, A. R. Ketring, G. J. Ehrhardt, W. Jia. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem.206, 119 (1996).

[469] S. Mirzadeh, R. E. Schenter, A. P. Callahan, F. F. Knapp. Production Capabilities in U.S. Nuclear Reactors for Medical Radioisotopes, Tm-12010, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tenn (1992).

[470] S. Lahiri, K. J. Volkers, B. Wierczinski. Appl. Radiat. Isot.61, 1157 (2004).

[471] G. Ferro-Flores, O. Hernandez-Oviedo, C. Arteaga de Murphy, J. I. Tendilla, F. Monroy-Guzman, M. Pedraza-Lopez, K. Aldama-Alvarado. Appl. Radiat. Isot.61, 1227 (2004).

Isotope Mass and Abundance

Isotope	Atomic Mass (uncertainty) [u]	Abundance (uncertainty)
¹⁵⁶Dy	155.924 284(8)	0.000 56(3)	0.00056(3)
¹⁵⁸Dy	157.924 41(2)	0.000 95(3)	0.00095(3)
¹⁶⁰Dy	159.925 203(5)	0.023 29(18)	0.02329(18)
¹⁶¹Dy	160.926 939(5)	0.188 89(42)	0.18889(42)
¹⁶²Dy	161.926 804(5)	0.254 75(36)	0.25475(36)
¹⁶³Dy	162.928 737(5)	0.248 96(42)	0.24896(42)
¹⁶⁴Dy	163.929 181(5)	0.282 60(54)	0.28260(54)

Atomic Mass, Half Life, and Decay

Nuclide	Atomic Mass and Uncertainty [u]	Half Life and Uncertainty	Discovery Year	Decay Modes, Intensities and Uncertainties [%]
¹³⁸Dy	137.962500 ± 0.00054 [Estimated]	200 ms [Estimated]		β⁺ ?; β⁺p ?
¹³⁹Dy	138.959527 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	600 ms ± 200	1999	β⁺=100%; β⁺p≈11%
¹⁴⁰Dy	139.954020 ± 0.00043 [Estimated]	700 ms [Estimated]	2002	β⁺ ?; β⁺p ?
¹⁴⁰Dy^m	139.954020 ± 0.00043 [Estimated]	7.0 us ± 0.5	2002	IT=100%
¹⁴¹Dy	140.951280 ± 0.00032 [Estimated]	900 ms ± 140	1984	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹⁴²Dy	141.946194 ± 0.000782 [Estimated]	2.3 s ± 0.3	1986	β⁺=100%; e⁺=90±0.4%; ε=10±0.4%; β⁺p=0.06±0.3%
¹⁴³Dy	142.943994332 ± 0.000014	5.6 s ± 1.0	1983	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹⁴³Dy^m	142.943994332 ± 0.000014	3.0 s ± 0.3	2003	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹⁴³Dyⁿ	142.943994332 ± 0.000014	1.2 us ± 0.3	2005	IT=100%
¹⁴⁴Dy	143.939269512 ± 0.0000077	9.1 s ± 0.4	1986	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹⁴⁵Dy	144.937473992 ± 0.000007	9.5 s ± 1.0	1982	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹⁴⁵Dy^m	144.937473992 ± 0.000007	14.1 s ± 0.7	1982	β⁺=100%; β⁺p≈50%
¹⁴⁶Dy	145.932844526 ± 0.000007187	33.2 s ± 0.7	1981	β⁺=100%
¹⁴⁶Dy^m	145.932844526 ± 0.000007187	150 ms ± 20	1982	IT=100%
¹⁴⁷Dy	146.931082712 ± 0.0000095	67 s ± 7	1975	β⁺=100%; β⁺p≈0.05%
¹⁴⁷Dy^m	146.931082712 ± 0.0000095	55.2 s ± 0.5	1976	β⁺=68.9±2.3%; IT=31.1±2.3%
¹⁴⁷Dyⁿ	146.931082712 ± 0.0000095	400 ns ± 10	1985	IT=100%
¹⁴⁸Dy	147.927149944 ± 0.000009365	3.3 m ± 0.2	1974	β⁺=100%
¹⁴⁸Dy^m	147.927149944 ± 0.000009365	471 ns ± 20	1978	IT=100%
¹⁴⁹Dy	148.927327516 ± 0.000009858	4.20 m ± 0.14	1958	β⁺=100%
¹⁴⁹Dy^m	148.927327516 ± 0.000009858	490 ms ± 15	1976	IT=99.3±0.3%; β⁺=0.7±0.3%
¹⁵⁰Dy	149.925593068 ± 0.000004636	7.17 m ± 0.05	1959	β⁺=66.4±1.8%; α=33.6±1.8%
¹⁵¹Dy	150.926191279 ± 0.000003486	17.9 m ± 0.3	1959	β⁺=94.4±0.6%; α=5.6±0.4%
¹⁵²Dy	151.924725274 ± 0.00000493	2.38 h ± 0.02	1958	ε=99.900±0.7%; α=0.100±0.7%
¹⁵³Dy	152.925771729 ± 0.000004295	6.4 h ± 0.1	1958	β⁺=99.9906±1.4%; α=0.0094±1.4%
¹⁵⁴Dy	153.924428920 ± 0.000007977	3.0 My ± 1.5	1961	α=100%; 2β⁺ ?
¹⁵⁵Dy	154.925758049 ± 0.000010354	9.9 h ± 0.2	1958	β⁺=100%
¹⁵⁵Dy^m	154.925758049 ± 0.000010354	6 us ± 1	1970	IT=100%
¹⁵⁶Dy	155.924283593 ± 0.00000106	Stable >1Ey	1948	IS=0.056±0.3%; α ?; 2β⁺ ?
¹⁵⁷Dy	156.925469555 ± 0.000005532	8.14 h ± 0.04	1953	β⁺=100%
¹⁵⁷Dy^m	156.925469555 ± 0.000005532	1.3 us ± 0.2	1974	IT=100%
¹⁵⁷Dyⁿ	156.925469555 ± 0.000005532	21.6 ms ± 1.6	1970	IT=100%
¹⁵⁸Dy	157.924414817 ± 0.000002509	Stable	1938	IS=0.095±0.3%; α ?; 2β⁺ ?
¹⁵⁹Dy	158.925745938 ± 0.000001544	144.4 d ± 0.2	1951	ε=100%
¹⁵⁹Dy^m	158.925745938 ± 0.000001544	122 us ± 3	1965	IT=100%
¹⁶⁰Dy	159.925203578 ± 0.000000751	Stable	1938	IS=2.329±1.8%
¹⁶¹Dy	160.926939425 ± 0.000000748	Stable	1934	IS=18.889±4.2%
¹⁶¹Dy^m	160.926939425 ± 0.000000748	760 ns ± 170	2012	IT=100%
¹⁶²Dy	161.926804507 ± 0.000000746	Stable	1934	IS=25.475±3.6%
¹⁶²Dy^m	161.926804507 ± 0.000000746	8.3 us ± 0.3	2011	IT=100%
¹⁶³Dy	162.928737221 ± 0.000000744	Stable	1934	IS=24.896±4.2%
¹⁶⁴Dy	163.929180819 ± 0.000000746	Stable	1934	IS=28.260±5.4%
¹⁶⁵Dy	164.931709402 ± 0.000000748	2.332 h ± 0.004	1935	β^-=100%
¹⁶⁵Dy^m	164.931709402 ± 0.000000748	1.257 m ± 0.006	1963	IT=97.76±1.1%; β^-=2.24±1.1%
¹⁶⁶Dy	165.932812810 ± 0.000000862	81.6 h ± 0.1	1949	β^-=100%
¹⁶⁷Dy	166.935682415 ± 0.0000043	6.20 m ± 0.08	1960	β^-=100%
¹⁶⁸Dy	167.937134977 ± 0.000150303	8.7 m ± 0.3	1982	β^-=100%
¹⁶⁸Dy^m	167.937134977 ± 0.000150303	0.57 us ± 0.7	2019	IT=100%
¹⁶⁹Dy	168.940315231 ± 0.000322781	39 s ± 8	1990	β^-=100%
¹⁶⁹Dy^m	168.940315231 ± 0.000322781	1.26 us ± 0.17	2019	IT=100%
¹⁷⁰Dy	169.942340 ± 0.000215 [Estimated]	54.9 s ± 8.0	2010	β^-=100%
¹⁷⁰Dy^m	169.942340 ± 0.000215 [Estimated]	0.99 us ± 0.04	2016	IT=100%
¹⁷¹Dy	170.946312 ± 0.000215 [Estimated]	4.07 s ± 0.40	2012	β^-=100%
¹⁷²Dy	171.948728 ± 0.000322 [Estimated]	3.4 s ± 0.2	2012	β^-=100%
¹⁷²Dy^m	171.948728 ± 0.000322 [Estimated]	710 ms ± 50	2016	β^-=19±0.3%; IT=81±0.3%
¹⁷³Dy	172.953043 ± 0.000429 [Estimated]	1.43 s ± 0.20	2012	β^-=100%; β^-n ?
¹⁷⁴Dy	173.955845 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	1 s >300ns [Estimated]	2012	β^- ?; β^-n ?
¹⁷⁵Dy	174.960569 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	390 ms >550ns [Estimated]	2018	β^- ?; β^-n ?
¹⁷⁶Dy	175.963918 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	440 ms >550ns [Estimated]	2018	β^- ?; β^-n ?

Information Sources

1. PubChem

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Atomic Mass Data Center (AMDC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

LICENSE
https://www-nds.iaea.org/disclaimer.html

Dy
https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/
3. IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW)

LICENSE
http://www.ciaaw.org/bylaws.htm

Dysprosium
https://www.ciaaw.org/dysprosium.htm
4. Jefferson Lab, U.S. Department of Energy

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Please see citation and linking information https https://www.jlab.org/privacy-and-security-notice

Dysprosium
https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele066.html
5. Los Alamos National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy

LICENSE
https://about.lanl.gov/lanl-resources/web-policies/

Dysprosium
https://periodic.lanl.gov/66.shtml
6. NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory

LICENSE
https://www.nist.gov/pml/database-disclaimer

Dysprosium
https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/Elements/elInfo.pl?element=66
7. IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI)

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Copyright (c) 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) contribution within Pubchem is provided under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, unless otherwise stated.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
8. PubChem Elements

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https://www.nlm.nih.gov/copyright.html

Dysprosium

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