American Elements produces to many standard grades when applicable, including Mil Spec (military grade); ACS, Reagent and Technical Grade; Food, Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Grade; Optical Grade, USP and EP/BP (European Pharmacopeia/British Pharmacopeia) and follows applicable ASTM testing standards.See safety data and research below and pricing/lead time above. American Elements specializes in producing high purity Neodymium rotatable sputtering targets with the highest possible density and smallest possible average grain sizes for use in semiconductor, photovoltaic, and coating applications by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) and optical applications. Our standard Rotatable Targets for large area thin film deposition are produced either by spray coating on a tubular substrate or casting of a solid tube. Rotary Targets are available with dimensions and configurations up to 1,000 mm in length for large area coating for solar energy or fuel cells and flip-chip applications. Research sized targets are also produced as well as custom sizes and alloys. All targets are analyzed using best demonstrated techniques including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). "Sputtering" allows for thin film deposition of an ultra high purity sputtering metallic or oxide material onto another solid substrate by the controlled removal and conversion of the target material into a directed gaseous/plasma phase through ionic bombardment. Besides rotary targets we can also provide targets outside in just about any size and shape, such as rectangular, annular, or oval targets. Materials are produced using crystallization , solid state and other ultra high purification processes such as sublimation. American Elements specializes in producing custom compositions for commercial and research applications and for new proprietary technologies. American Elements also casts any of the rare earth metals and most other advanced materials into rod, bar or plate form , as well as other machined shapes and through other processes nanoparticles. We also produce Neodymium as disc, granules, ingot, pellets, pieces, powder, and rod. Other shapes are available by request.

Neodymium is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element. The number of electrons in each of Neodymium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 22, 8, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Xe] 4f⁴ 6s². In its elemental form neodymium's CAS number is 7440-00-8. The neodymium atom has a radius of 181.4.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 181.pm. Neodymium is the most abundant of the rare earths after cerium and lanthanum. Neodymium is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. Primary applications include lasers, glass coloring and tinting, dielectrics and, most importantly, as the fundamental basis for neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets. Neodymium has a strong absorption band centered at 580 nm, which is very close to the human eye's maximum level of sensitivity making it useful in protective lenses for welding goggles. It is also used in CRT displays to enhance contrast between reds and greens and highly valued in glass manufacturing for its attractive purple coloring. Neodymium is included in many formulations of barium titanate, used as dielectric coatings and in multi-layer capacitors essential to electronic equipment. Neodymium was first discovered by Carl Aer von Welsbach in 1885. The name originates from the Greek words 'neos didymos', meaning new twin. See Neodymium research below.