Industrial users from DuPont in Wilmington, Del., are working with neutron instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor to solve materials problems that can't be solved in any other way. The materials industry researchers are confident their work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will lead to significant developments in new materials for multiple industrial applications. Nanocomposites, in which nanoparticles of many varieties are uniformly dispersed in a polymer matrix, appear to have significantly improved properties over pure polymers. Using SANS [small-angle neutron scattering] at HFIR and the EQ-SANS [extended Q-range small angle neutron scattering diffractometer] at the SNS, detailed neutron science studies are being made of when, how and why nanoparticles improve the polymers. ORNL helps industry researchers get started with a well-defined route to information and onsite expertise to help them plan experiments, write proposals and analyze their data.
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