More info:
Helium gas is best known as the stuff for blowing up balloons or for making your voice squeaky. Helium is one of the most abundant gases in the universe (along with hydrogen) but it is also used for thousands of applications in chemistry labs around the world. The world’s supply of helium is running out so scientists are interested in exploring different ways to trap helium gas or recover it from the atmosphere. The helium atom is trapped inside a fullerene which is made up entirely of carbon.
More info about the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) in crystals project:
This project (#IYPTCrystals) is part of the International Year of the Periodic Table celebration (#IYPT2019), read more about the project here. You can follow us on social media using #IYPTCrystals and learn more about the wonders of crystals by following the CCDC on Twitter @ccdc_cambridge on Facebook ccdc.cambridge, on Instagram ccdc_cambridge or on YouTube CCDCCambridge.
If you want to find out more about some of the terms and concepts we have a Frequently Asked Questions Page.