Dy is named from the Greek word dysprositos, which means hard to get at. It was discovered by Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran of France in 1886. It IS quite hard to get at, because as most lanthanides, it is not found free in nature and has to be mined from these minerals: xenotime, fergusonite, gadolinite, euxenite, polycrase, blomstrande, monazite and bastnasite. Most dy is mined from clay ores that are found in southern China.While dy is stable in air at room temperature, it does oxidize very quickly. When it dilutes with certain mineral acids, hydrogen is produced. While it can be easily cut with bolt cutters, it cannot be cut with a knife. It's abilities and look are affected by the smallest little imperfections- not storing it properly or exposing it to other minerals.
Dy is often used in magnetic items, as it is very paramagnetic. It is often used it:
- Laser materials
- Nuclear control rods
- Nuclear reactors
- Compact discs
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Nano-magnets
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