描述
Dysprosium, also known as 66dy or disprosio, is a member of the class of compounds known as homogeneous lanthanide compounds. Homogeneous lanthanide compounds are inorganic compounds containing only metal atoms, with the largest atom being a lanthanide atom. Dysprosium can be found in red beetroot, romaine lettuce, and spinach, which makes dysprosium a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Dysprosium was first identified in 1886 by Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, but it was not isolated in pure form until the development of ion exchange techniques in the 1950s. Dysprosium has relatively few applications where it cannot be replaced by other chemical elements. It is used for its high thermal neutron absorption cross-section in making control rods in nuclear reactors, for its high magnetic susceptibility in data storage applications, and as a component of Terfenol-D (a magnetostrictive material). Soluble dysprosium salts are mildly toxic, while the insoluble salts are considered non-toxic .