Name       : Dysprosium
Symbol     : Dy
Atomic #   : 66
Atom weight: 162.50
Melting P. : 1412
Boiling P. : 2567
Oxidation  : +3
Pronounced : dis-PRO-si-em or dis-PRO-shi-em
From       : Greek dysprositos, "hard to get at"
Identified : Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886
Appearance : Soft. lustrous, silvery metal
Note       : Applications limited to experimental and the esoteric 
             
[Properties]

  Dysprosium is a fairly dense, soft, and silvery metal. It oxidizes fairly
rapidly in air, continuously flaking off the white disprosium oxide.
  Dysprosium is a member of the lanthanide series of metals, beginning with
lanthanum (La, element 57) and running through consecutive atomic numbers to
lutetium (Lu, element 71).
  Most dysprosium is obtained from monazite snad, which is a mixture of 
phosphates of calcium, thorium, cerium, and most of the other rare earths.
This and is often 50% rare earth by weight. Most of the unwanted metals can
be removed magnetically or by flotation processes. The next step, separating
dysprosium from the other rare-earth elements, is more difficult.