Rare Earth Elements

Concord University Has Rare Crystal That Can Help Identify Rare Earth Elements

Concord University will be one of two places in the world to have a certain type of X-ray diffracting crystal. The manufactured crystal is capable of capturing invisible light wavelengths, known as X-rays, to determine the chemical makeup of certain materials.  This crystal is used as part of an electron microscope, and can collect information from materials at sizes as small as 1/1000th of a millimeter — to put that in perspective, a fine grain of sand is 1/10th of a millimeter.