Dysprosium

Occurrence, isolation & synthesis


Dysprosium is a silvery metal, that tarnishes in moist air [4].

Occurrence


In nature, dysprosium is found in the Earth's crust, ~4.5 ppm, in minerals such as gadolinite, xenotime, samarskite and other rare earth minerals [4]. The isotopes found in nature are 156Dy (0.06 %, stable), 159Dy (0.10 %, stable), 160Dy (2.34 %, stable), 161Dy (18.9 %, stable), 162Dy (25.5 %, stable) and 163Dy (24.9 %, stable) [4].