rare-earth metals rapidly increased its workload. As the country explored the uses of nuclear power, lab scientists studied nuclear fuels and structural materials for nuclear reactors. Processes developed at Ames Laboratory resulted in the production of the purest rare-earth metals in the world while at the same time greatly reducing their price. In most cases, Lab facilities served as models for large-scale production of rare-earth metals. Lab scientists took advantage of Iowa State University's synchrotron to pursue medium-energy physics research. Analytical chemistry efforts expanded to keep up with the need to analyze new materials. Other key accomplishments from the 1950s included: Development of processes for separating hafnium, niobium, barium, strontium, caesium and rubidium. Discovery of a new isotope, phosphorus-33. Separation of high-purity rare-earth oxides in kilogram quantities. Development of a method of separating plutonium and fission products from spent uranium fuel. Production of high-purity yttrium metal in large quantities, shipping more than before industry took over the process. 1960s During the 1960s the Lab reached peak employment as its scientists continued exploring new materials. As part of that effort, the Lab built a 5-megawatt heavy water reactor for neutron diffraction studies and additional isotope separation research. The United States Atomic Energy Commission established the Rare-Earth Information Center at Ames Lab to provide the scientific and technical communities with information about rare-earth metals and their compounds. Other key accomplishments from the 1960s included: Development of a process to produce thorium metal with a purity of 99.985 percent. Development of a process for producing high-purity vanadium metal for nuclear applications. Discovery of a new isotope, copper-69. Conducted the first successful operation of an isotope separator connected to a reactor in order to study short-lived radioactivity produced by fission of uranium-235. Growth of the first large crystal of solid helium 1970s During the 1970s, as the United States Atomic Energy Commission evolved into the United States Department of Energy, efforts diversified as some research programs closed and new ones opened. Federal officials consolidated reactor facilities, leading to the closure of the research reactor. Ames Laboratory responded by putting new emphasis on applied mathematics, solar power, fossil fuels and pollution control. Innovative analytical techniques were developed to provide precise information from increasingly small samples. Foremost among them was inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, which could rapidly and simultaneously detect up to 40 different trace metals from a small sample. Other key accomplishments from the