Chemical data for Dy - Dysprosium | PhysLink.com

Dysprosium

 Dysprosium 
Dy
Atomic Number: 66
Atomic Weight: 162.5
Element Type: Rare Earth Metal
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Melting Point: 1412.0°C = 2573.6°F = 1685.15 K
Boiling Point: 2567.0°C = 4652.6°F = 2840.15 K
Critical Temp: °C = °F = K
Atomic Radius: 2.49 Å (Å = Angstrom = 10-10 m)
Covalent Radius: 1.59 Å
Electronegativity: 1.22

History

(Gr. dysprositos, hard to get at) Dysprosium was discovered in 1886 by Lecoq deBoisbaudran, but not isolated. Neither the oxide nor the metal was available in relativelypure form until the development of ion-exchange separation and metallographic reductiontechniques by Spedding and associates about 1950. Dysprosium occurs along with otherso-called rare-earth or lanthanide elements in a variety of minerals such as xenotime,fergusonite, gadolinite, euxenite, polycrase, and blomstrandine. The most importantsources, however, are from monaziate and bastnasite. Dysprosium can be prepared byreduction of the trifluoride with calcium.


Sources