Uses: used in making Terfenol-D (used by the military in naval sonar systems), doping magnets used in hybrid vehicles (the dysprosium acts to maintain the magnet field in high temperature environments), as well as in nuclear reactors, and lasers.

Dysprosium in Greek means “Hard to get at” and indeed it is another heavy rare earth element that is relatively scarce in the distribution of rare earth oxide. It is a silvery metal that is soft enough to cut with a knife and has magnetic properties that makes it one of the highest valued rare earth elements.