Dysprosium, named after the Greek word “dysprositos” meaning “difficult to obtain,” has lived up to its moniker throughout its 138-year history. This rare earth element, discovered in the twilight of the 19th century, has transformed from a scientific curiosity into a critical component of modern technology. From its painstaking isolation using primitive separation techniques to its current role in enabling renewable energy technologies and advanced quantum physics research, dysprosium’s journey reflects humanity’s evolving relationship with the elements. Today, as the world grapples with clean energy transitions and technological advancement, this once-obscure lanthanide stands at the center of geopolitical tensions, environmental concerns, and scientific breakthroughs that will shape the 21st century and beyond.

For more information, check out the light rare earth elements (LREEs) as a group, the heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) as a group, and all rare earth elements (REEs). Be sure to check out all other critical raw materials (CRMs), as well. The complete history of all 17 rare earth elements can be found here.

Read about the use of rare earths in quantum computing here.

A History Of Dysprosium

The history of dysprosium spans nearly 140 years, from its discovery in a French chemist’s home laboratory to its critical role in modern renewable energy and quantum physics. This chronological account traces the element’s journey from scientific curiosity to strategic resource, documenting key discoveries, technological applications, and geopolitical developments that have shaped its significance in the modern world.

Chronology

• 1886 – Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered dysprosium in Paris by separating dysprosium oxide from holmium oxide using fractional crystallization on his marble fireplace at home, named the element dysprosium from the Greek “dysprositos” meaning “hard to get” after performing over 30 separation attempts, and published his discovery [1, 2, 3]
• 1906 – Georges Urbain prepared a reasonably pure fraction of dysprosium, advancing the element’s isolation [4, 5]
• 1935 – W. Klemm and H. Bommer first isolated metallic dysprosium by reducing its anhydrous chloride with potassium vapor [18]
• 1950s – Frank Spedding at Iowa State University developed ion-exchange chromatography techniques, enabling the first isolation of dysprosium in relatively pure form [6, 7]
• 1950 – Spedding published papers on “The Separation of Rare Earths by Ion Exchange,” revolutionizing rare earth purification including dysprosium [8]
• 1970s – The Naval Ordnance Laboratory in the United States initially developed Terfenol-D, a magnetostrictive alloy containing dysprosium [9]
• 1980s – Ames Laboratory developed efficient manufacturing technology for Terfenol-D under a U.S. Navy-funded program [9]
• 1982 – Dysprosium became a key component in neodymium–iron-boron magnets as Masato Sagawa at Sumitomo Special Metals developed the sintered NdFeB magnet [19]
• 1983 – General Motors and Sumitomo Special Metals independently announced the development of NdFeB magnets containing dysprosium, which improved high-temperature performance [20]
• 1984 – Commercial production of dysprosium-containing NdFeB magnets began, revolutionizing permanent magnet applications [20]
• 1986 – General Motors established Magnequench subsidiary to commercialize dysprosium-containing NdFeB magnet production [20]
• 2003 – Dysprosium prices were $7 per pound, reflecting limited demand and applications [1]
• 2009 – China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements brought global attention to dysprosium supply concerns [10]
• 2010 – Dysprosium prices reached $130 per pound in late 2010 due to supply concerns, and the United States Department of Energy identified dysprosium as the single most critical element for emerging clean energy technologies [1]
• 2011 – Dysprosium prices peaked at $1,400/kg due to Chinese export restrictions and growing demand; the first Bose-Einstein condensate of dysprosium atoms was obtained; Stanford University researchers created the first strongly dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate of dysprosium [1, 11]
• 2012 – The price of dysprosium oxide was US$994/kg, reflecting continued supply concerns [21]
• 2014 – Dysprosium prices fell to $265/kg due to illegal production in China circumventing government restrictions [1]
• 2015 – The first nascent rare earth extraction industry emerged in Australia, including dysprosium production [1]
• 2018 – Northern Minerals opened Australia’s first heavy rare earths mine, producing dysprosium and terbium; the Browns Range Project pilot plant in Western Australia began producing 50 tonnes of dysprosium per annum [1, 12]
• 2019 – China produced 63% of global rare earth output, maintaining dominance in dysprosium production [13]
• 2020 – Global dysprosium demand reached approximately 3,000 tons, double the 2011 demand of 1,500 tons [14]
• 2021 – Global dysprosium production totaled about 3,100 tonnes, with China producing 40%, Myanmar 31%, and Australia 20%; dysprosium was successfully turned into a 2-dimensional supersolid quantum gas, advancing quantum physics research [1]
• 2023 – Lynas Rare Earths began construction of heavy rare earth separation facilities in Malaysia to produce dysprosium outside China [15]
• 2024 – The Australian government ordered Chinese-linked companies to divest stakes in Northern Minerals‘ dysprosium project on national security grounds [16]
• 2025 – Dysprosium prices stabilized around USD$203/kg as new production sources emerged (April); Lynas achieved first separated dysprosium oxide production at its Malaysian plant, becoming the world’s only commercial producer outside China (May) [1, 17]

Final Thoughts

Dysprosium’s transformation from a chemical curiosity isolated on a marble fireplace to a strategic element essential for renewable energy represents one of the most dramatic journeys in the periodic table. As we stand at the intersection of climate change mitigation and technological advancement, dysprosium has emerged as both a solution and a challenge. Its unique magnetic and nuclear properties make it indispensable for wind turbines, electric vehicles, and advanced physics research, yet its concentrated supply chain and environmental extraction costs pose significant obstacles.

The element that Lecoq de Boisbaudran struggled to obtain through 30 laborious separations now requires global cooperation, technological innovation, and sustainable practices to secure. As the world races toward carbon neutrality and quantum computing breakthroughs, dysprosium’s story continues to unfold, reminding us that even the most “difficult to obtain” elements can become cornerstones of human progress.

Thanks for reading!

References

[1] Dysprosium – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysprosium

[2] Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul-%C3%89mile_Lecoq_de_Boisbaudran

[3] Paul-Émile (François) Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912) – the Important French chemist of the Second Half of the XIX Century and the First Decade of the XX Century – https://www.redalyc.org/journal/1816/181676110008/html/

[4] Dysprosium | Rare Earth Element, Uses & Properties | Britannica – https://www.britannica.com/science/dysprosium

[5] Georges Urbain – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Urbain

[6] Frank Spedding – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Spedding

[7] Frank Spedding – Nuclear Museum – https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/frank-spedding/

[8] Biography:Frank Spedding – HandWiki – https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:Frank_Spedding

[9] Terfenol-D – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terfenol-D

[10] Learn About Dysprosium and the History, Production and Applications – https://www.thoughtco.com/metal-profile-dysprosium-2340187

[11] Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 190401 (2011) – Strongly Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensate of Dysprosium – https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.190401

[12] First significant Dysprosium producer outside of China to open plant on Friday – MINING.COM – https://www.mining.com/web/first-significant-dysprosium-producer-outside-china-open-plant-friday/

[13] China and the Rare Earth Supply Chain Policy Brief – IER – https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/china-and-the-rare-earth-supply-chain-policy-brief/

[14] Tracing the material flows of dysprosium in China from 2010 to 2020: An investigation of the partition characteristics of different rare earth mining areas – ScienceDirect – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301420723005470

[15] Discover the Top 10 Countries Leading Rare Earth Metal Production – https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/critical-metals-investing/rare-earth-investing/rare-earth-metal-production/

[16] Rare earths vs rarer resources: Global ripples from Australia’s divestment decision | Lowy Institute – https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/rare-earths-vs-rarer-resources-global-ripples-australia-s-divestment-decision

[17] Lynas produces world’s first dysprosium outside of China – Australian Mining – https://www.australianmining.com.au/lynas-produces-worlds-first-dysprosium-outside-of-china/

[18] Erbium – https://www.chemicool.com/elements/erbium.html

[19] All the Test Introduction of NdFeB Magnet – https://insights.made-in-china.com/All-the-Test-Introduction-of-NdFeB-Magnet_TfpaOyRVsmik.html

[20] Federal Register :: Publication of a Report on the Effect of Imports of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) Permanent Magnets on the National Security – https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/14/2023-03078/publication-of-a-report-on-the-effect-of-imports-of-neodymium-iron-boron-ndfeb-permanent-magnets-on

[21] Rare-earth element – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_element