Dysprosium - Dy

Dysprosium (Dy)

Dysprosium is a bright, silvery lanthanide metal. It occurs in rare-earth minerals and is separated from mixtures of lanthanides. The metal reacts with air and water.

Uses and applications

Dysprosium is added to some neodymium-based permanent magnets to help them retain magnetic performance at higher temperatures. Dysprosium compounds also have specialised uses in lasers and nuclear materials.

Dysprosium and water treatment

Dysprosium is not commonly added to water-treatment processes. It can be relevant to process water from rare-earth extraction, refining, and magnet recycling; monitoring and treatment depend on the chemical form and the composition of the full stream.

Occurrence and environmental context

Dysprosium is recovered from rare-earth minerals, commonly through processes that separate chemically similar lanthanides. Environmental behaviour depends on its chemical form, solubility, and interactions with minerals and dissolved substances in water and soil.

Health and safety

Health risks depend on the particular dysprosium compound and exposure route. Avoid inhaling dust, consult the relevant safety data sheet, and use appropriate occupational controls when handling metal or compounds.

Back to the periodic table of elements