Dysprosium

Dysprosium is a silvery, soft rare-earth metal with atomic number 66. Its strong magnetic properties make it valuable in high-performance magnets and other specialized materials.

Neodymium magnet: A powerful permanent magnet made primarily from an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron. Dysprosium is added to some neodymium magnets to help them retain magnetism at high temperatures.
Lanthanide contraction: The steady decrease in atomic and ionic radii across the lanthanide series as nuclear charge increases. It shapes dysprosium’s atomic size and chemistry relative to neighboring rare-earth metals.
Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran: A French chemist who discovered several elements through spectroscopic analysis. He isolated dysprosium in 1886 from erbium oxide using repeated chemical separations.
Terbium: A silvery rare-earth metal with atomic number 65 and strong magnetic and optical properties. Terbium is a neighboring heavy lanthanide that also enhances specialized magnetic materials.
Electric vehicle: A vehicle propelled partly or entirely by electric motors powered by rechargeable batteries. Some traction motors use dysprosium-bearing permanent magnets to withstand operating heat.
4f orbital: An atomic orbital that holds the inner electrons characteristic of lanthanide elements. Dysprosium’s unpaired 4f electrons generate its strong magnetic moment.
Rare-earth element: One of 17 chemically similar elements comprising the 15 lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium. Dysprosium belongs to this group and shares its difficult separation chemistry.
Neodymium: A rare-earth metal with atomic number 60, widely used in powerful permanent magnets. Neodymium supplies most of a magnet’s magnetic strength; dysprosium chiefly improves high-temperature coercivity.
Wind turbine: A machine that converts energy from moving air into electricity. Some direct-drive turbines use permanent magnets containing dysprosium for high-temperature performance.
Magnetic anisotropy: The dependence of a material’s magnetic properties on the direction of measurement or magnetization. Dysprosium’s anisotropy helps magnets resist demagnetization as temperature rises.

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