Lawrencium

Dubnium

Word Origin: Dubnium is named for Dubna, Russia, home of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, where the element was first reported.

Most molybdenum is used to make alloys. It is used in steel alloys to increase strength, hardness, electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion and wear. These ‘moly steel’ alloys are used in parts of engines. Other alloys are used in heating elements, drills and saw blades.

157

Dysprosium is never found in nature as a free element, though it is found in various minerals, such as xenotime. Naturally occurring dysprosium is composed of seven isotopes, the most abundant of which is 164Dy.

Dysprosium (Dy), chemical element, a rare-earth metal of the lanthanide series of the periodic table. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Dysprosium is a relatively hard metal and is silvery white in its pure form.

Dysprosium has a high thermal neutron absorption cross-section, meaning that it is very good at absorbing neutrons. Because of this, it is used to make the control rods that are put into nuclear reactors to absorb excess neutrons and stop fission reactions getting out of control.

As a result of its special magnetic properties, holmium is used in alloys for the production of magnets and as a flux concentrator for high magnetic fields. Holmia (holmium oxide) is used as a yellow or red coloring for glass and cubic zirconia.

Dysprosium in Terfenol-D, is used to produce sonar sensors, positioning actuators, active noise and vibration cancellation, seismic waves, and tool machining. Dysprosium phosphide (DyP) is a semiconductor used in laser diodes and high power, high-frequency applications.

Dysprosium is chiefly obtained from bastnasite and monazite, where it occurs as an impurity. Other dysprosium-bearing minerals include euxenite, fergusonite, gadolinite and polycrase. It is mined in the USA, China Russia, Australia, and India.

seaborgium

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is essential to all living things. It forms the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA. It is important for energy transfer in cells as part of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and is found in many other biologically important molecules.

Earth’s phosphorus is being depleted at an alarming rate. At current consumption levels, we will run out of known phosphorus reserves in around 80 years, but consumption will not stay at current levels.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all forms of life. It is a key element in our DNA and all living organisms require daily phosphorus intake to produce energy. It cannot be replaced and there is no synthetic substitute: without phosphorus, there is no life.

Besides human urine, there are many naturally occurring sources of phosphorus that can be used in the garden, including bat guano (or feces), bone meal, crab and shrimp waste, burned cucumber skins, hair and mushroom compost.

Morocco

Led by the world’s largest phosphate producer, Minnesota-based Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS), the US has a strong history of phosphate production and refinement.

Worldwide, more than 85 percent of the phosphate rock mined is used to manufacture phosphate fertilizers. The remaining 15 percent is used to make elemental phosphorus and animal feed supplements, or is applied directly to soils. Elemental phosphorus is used to manufacture a wide range of chemical compounds.

China

The companies holding the largest market share in the Fertilizer Manufacturing in the US industry include CF Industries Holdings Inc., The Mosaic Company and Nutrien Ltd.

Canada

Urea is the most widely used nitrogenous fertilizer across the world, primarily because of the high nitrogen content (46%). China and India are the largest producers and consumers of urea in the world.