![This photo is of a male scientist sitting at a desk working with materials, wearing protective glasses.](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_square_large/public/2024-07/2023-P08173.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=LnJLvflD)
Filter News
Area of Research
- Advanced Manufacturing (2)
- Biology and Environment (43)
- Biology and Soft Matter (1)
- Clean Energy (101)
- Computational Engineering (1)
- Computer Science (7)
- Electricity and Smart Grid (3)
- Energy Frontier Research Centers (1)
- Functional Materials for Energy (1)
- Fusion and Fission (5)
- Materials (76)
- Materials for Computing (10)
- National Security (35)
- Neutron Science (17)
- Nuclear Science and Technology (2)
- Quantum information Science (4)
- Sensors and Controls (1)
- Supercomputing (42)
- Transportation Systems (1)
News Topics
- (-) Critical Materials (28)
- (-) Cybersecurity (35)
- (-) Decarbonization (80)
- (-) Grid (65)
- (-) Machine Learning (48)
- (-) Microscopy (51)
- (-) Nanotechnology (60)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (125)
- Advanced Reactors (34)
- Artificial Intelligence (94)
- Big Data (58)
- Bioenergy (92)
- Biology (100)
- Biomedical (59)
- Biotechnology (22)
- Buildings (57)
- Chemical Sciences (66)
- Clean Water (30)
- Climate Change (101)
- Composites (28)
- Computer Science (193)
- Coronavirus (46)
- Education (4)
- Element Discovery (1)
- Emergency (2)
- Energy Storage (109)
- Environment (196)
- Exascale Computing (39)
- Fossil Energy (6)
- Frontier (44)
- Fusion (55)
- High-Performance Computing (88)
- Hydropower (11)
- Irradiation (3)
- Isotopes (53)
- ITER (7)
- Materials (144)
- Materials Science (142)
- Mathematics (9)
- Mercury (12)
- Microelectronics (3)
- Molten Salt (8)
- National Security (65)
- Net Zero (14)
- Neutron Science (131)
- Nuclear Energy (109)
- Partnerships (46)
- Physics (62)
- Polymers (33)
- Quantum Computing (35)
- Quantum Science (69)
- Renewable Energy (2)
- Security (24)
- Simulation (49)
- Software (1)
- Space Exploration (25)
- Statistics (3)
- Summit (59)
- Sustainable Energy (129)
- Transformational Challenge Reactor (7)
- Transportation (97)
Media Contacts
![An encapsulation system developed by ORNL researchers prevents salt hydrates, which are environmentally friendly thermal energy storage materials, from leaking and advances their use in heating and cooling applications. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2024-02/injection03.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=i7T5oyDo)
ORNL researchers have developed a novel way to encapsulate salt hydrate phase-change materials within polymer fibers through a coaxial pulling process. The discovery could lead to the widespread use of the low-carbon materials as a source of insulation for a building’s envelope.
![ORNL’s Tomás Rush examines a culture as part of his research into the plant-fungus relationship that can help or hinder ecosystem health. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2024-01/2022-p09834_0.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=iHPtg7RM)
New computational framework speeds discovery of fungal metabolites, key to plant health and used in drug therapies and for other uses.
![Researchers at Corning have found that understanding the stability of the rings of atoms in glass materials can help predict the performance of glass products.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2024-01/picture2.png?h=342db57d&itok=yUdVp1Za)
Corning uses neutron scattering to study the stability of different types of glass. Recently, researchers for the company have found that understanding the stability of the rings of atoms in glass materials can help predict the performance of glass products.
![Prasanna Balaprakash, who leads ORNL’s AI Initiative, participated in events hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Task Force on American Innovation to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by AI. Credit: Brian Mosley/Computing Research Association](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2024-01/01_tfai_decon_ai_20_-_10-26-23_0.jpg?h=411c976c&itok=kRKOW1KH)
In summer 2023, ORNL's Prasanna Balaprakash was invited to speak at a roundtable discussion focused on the importance of academic artificial intelligence research and development hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
![2023 Top Science Achievements at SNS & HFIR](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/23-G08001-SNS-Top-Story-Image-pcg.jpg?h=1f0bc3a8&itok=3_ZyuAAO)
The 2023 top science achievements from HFIR and SNS feature a broad range of materials research published in high impact journals such as Nature and Advanced Materials.
![Alexey Serov researches ways to improve hydrogen fuel cells and materials and the electrolysis process. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/2023-P14038.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=JCWAG0sI)
It would be a challenge for any scientist to match Alexey Serov’s rate of inventions related to green hydrogen fuel. But this researcher at ORNL has 84 patents with at least 35 more under review, so his electrifying pace is unlikely to slow down any time soon.
![ORNL researchers contributed biomass resources analysis to a new report that says carbon dioxide removal targets can be reached by 2050 using existing technology. Source: Jason Richards/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/Picture4_0.jpg?h=46e9bf6f&itok=Rvklgpoj)
Scientists from more than a dozen institutions have completed a first-of-its-kind high-resolution assessment of carbon dioxide removal potential in the United States, charting a path to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas economy by 2050.
![Naval Academy midshipmen look at tiny particle fuels while touring ORNL. Credit: Lena Shoemaker/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/Picture1_0.jpg?h=4a7d1ed4&itok=wl4e6Nd3)
Nuclear engineering students from the United States Military Academy and United States Naval Academy are working with researchers at ORNL to complete design concepts for a nuclear propulsion rocket to go to space in 2027 as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DRACO program.
![In a proposed carbon-capture method, magnesium oxide crystals on the ground bind to carbon dioxide molecules from the surrounding air, triggering the formation of magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is then heated to convert it back to magnesium oxide and release the carbon dioxide for placement underground, or sequestration. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/Graphic-DAC-magnesium-oxide_0.jpg?h=1254d433&itok=otlbgWaQ)
Magnesium oxide is a promising material for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and injecting it deep underground to limit the effects of climate change. ORNL scientists are exploring ways to overcome an obstacle to making the technology economical.
![A collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Caterpillar Inc. will investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for marine vessels. Members of the research team kicked off the project with the installation of a 6-cylinder engine at the Department of Energy’s National Transportation Research Center at ORNL.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-12/2023-P19061%5B26%5D.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=F0MRmlmI)
ORNL and Caterpillar Inc. have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, to investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for four-stroke internal combustion marine engines.