diff --git a/docs/source/usersguide/materials.rst b/docs/source/usersguide/materials.rst
index 90b624192..69647342a 100644
--- a/docs/source/usersguide/materials.rst
+++ b/docs/source/usersguide/materials.rst
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ of an element, you specify the element itself. For example,
 
    mat.add_element('C', 1.0)
 
-This method can also accept element names, insensitive to case, such as
+This method can also accept case-insensitive element names such as
 
 ::
 
diff --git a/openmc/data/data.py b/openmc/data/data.py
index b2ab9462a..5440dec7c 100644
--- a/openmc/data/data.py
+++ b/openmc/data/data.py
@@ -112,30 +112,30 @@ NATURAL_ABUNDANCE = {
 
 # Dictionary to give element symbols from IUPAC names
 # (and some common mispellings)
-ELEMENT_SYMBOL = {'neutron': 'n', 'hydrogen': 'H', 'helium': 'He', 
-                 'lithium': 'Li', 'beryllium': 'Be', 'boron': 'B', 
+ELEMENT_SYMBOL = {'neutron': 'n', 'hydrogen': 'H', 'helium': 'He',
+                 'lithium': 'Li', 'beryllium': 'Be', 'boron': 'B',
                  'carbon': 'C', 'nitrogen': 'N', 'oxygen': 'O', 'fluorine': 'F',
                  'neon': 'Ne', 'sodium': 'Na', 'magnesium': 'Mg',
-                 'aluminium': 'Al', 'aluminum':'Al', 'silicon': 'Si',
-                 'phosphorus': 'P', 'sulfur': 'S', 'sulphur': 'S', 
-                 'chlorine': 'Cl', 'argon': 'Ar', 'potassium': 'K', 
+                 'aluminium': 'Al', 'aluminum': 'Al', 'silicon': 'Si',
+                 'phosphorus': 'P', 'sulfur': 'S', 'sulphur': 'S',
+                 'chlorine': 'Cl', 'argon': 'Ar', 'potassium': 'K',
                  'calcium': 'Ca', 'scandium': 'Sc', 'titanium': 'Ti',
                  'vanadium': 'V', 'chromium': 'Cr', 'manganese': 'Mn',
                  'iron': 'Fe', 'cobalt': 'Co', 'nickel': 'Ni', 'copper': 'Cu',
                  'zinc': 'Zn', 'gallium': 'Ga', 'germanium': 'Ge',
-                 'arsenic': 'As', 'selenium': 'Se', 'bromine': 'Br', 
-                 'krypton': 'Kr', 'rubidium': 'Rb', 'strontium': 'Sr', 
-                 'yttrium': 'Y', 'zirconium': 'Zr', 'niobium': 'Nb', 
-                 'molybdenum': 'Mo', 'technetium': 'Tc', 'ruthenium': 'Ru', 
-                 'rhodium': 'Rh', 'palladium': 'Pd', 'silver': 'Ag', 
+                 'arsenic': 'As', 'selenium': 'Se', 'bromine': 'Br',
+                 'krypton': 'Kr', 'rubidium': 'Rb', 'strontium': 'Sr',
+                 'yttrium': 'Y', 'zirconium': 'Zr', 'niobium': 'Nb',
+                 'molybdenum': 'Mo', 'technetium': 'Tc', 'ruthenium': 'Ru',
+                 'rhodium': 'Rh', 'palladium': 'Pd', 'silver': 'Ag',
                  'cadmium': 'Cd', 'indium': 'In', 'tin': 'Sn', 'antimony': 'Sb',
                  'tellurium': 'Te', 'iodine': 'I', 'xenon': 'Xe',
                  'caesium': 'Cs', 'cesium': 'Cs', 'barium': 'Ba',
                  'lanthanum': 'La', 'cerium': 'Ce', 'praseodymium': 'Pr',
-                 'neodymium': 'Nd', 'promethium': 'Pm', 'samarium': 'Sm', 
-                 'europium': 'Eu', 'gadolinium': 'Gd', 'terbium': 'Tb', 
-                 'dysprosium': 'Dy', 'holmium': 'Ho', 'erbium': 'Er', 
-                 'thulium': 'Tm', 'ytterbium': 'Yb', 'lutetium': 'Lu', 
+                 'neodymium': 'Nd', 'promethium': 'Pm', 'samarium': 'Sm',
+                 'europium': 'Eu', 'gadolinium': 'Gd', 'terbium': 'Tb',
+                 'dysprosium': 'Dy', 'holmium': 'Ho', 'erbium': 'Er',
+                 'thulium': 'Tm', 'ytterbium': 'Yb', 'lutetium': 'Lu',
                  'hafnium': 'Hf', 'tantalum': 'Ta', 'tungsten': 'W',
                  'wolfram': 'W', 'rhenium': 'Re', 'osmium': 'Os',
                  'iridium': 'Ir', 'platinum': 'Pt', 'gold': 'Au',
diff --git a/openmc/material.py b/openmc/material.py
index d6147b341..122d7d8ca 100644
--- a/openmc/material.py
+++ b/openmc/material.py
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class Material(IDManagerMixin):
                              "element's symbol or name, e.g., 'Zr', 'zirconium'")
 
         # Allow for element identifier to be given as a symbol or name
-        if len(element)>2:
+        if len(element) > 2:
             el = element.lower()
             element = openmc.data.ELEMENT_SYMBOL.get(el)
             if element is None:
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_material.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_material.py
index 35b10b8b3..095df8df9 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_material.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_material.py
@@ -37,17 +37,17 @@ def test_elements():
 def test_elements_by_name():
     """Test adding elements by name"""
     m = openmc.Material()
-    m.add_element('woLfrAm',1.0)
+    m.add_element('woLfrAm', 1.0)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        m.add_element('uranum',1.0)
-    m.add_element('uRaNiUm',1.0)
-    m.add_element('Aluminium',1.0)
+        m.add_element('uranum', 1.0)
+    m.add_element('uRaNiUm', 1.0)
+    m.add_element('Aluminium', 1.0)
     a = openmc.Material()
     b = openmc.Material()
     c = openmc.Material()
-    a.add_element('sulfur',1.0)
-    b.add_element('SulPhUR',1.0)
-    c.add_element('S',1.0)
+    a.add_element('sulfur', 1.0)
+    b.add_element('SulPhUR', 1.0)
+    c.add_element('S', 1.0)
     assert a._nuclides == b._nuclides
     assert b._nuclides == c._nuclides