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Critical Metals: The Chemistry of Light

From lightbulbs to lasers, many technologies use the luminescent properties of rare earth metals.

The “rare earth metals” include 17 elements, some of which are luminescent, meaning they give off light when activated by electromagnetic radiation. This exhibit explores the history of the rare earth metals europium (Eu), yttrium (Y), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd), along with the radioactive metal thorium (Th).

Funding for this exhibition was provided by the Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals under NSF Grant #CHE-1925708.

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