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Scientists at ORNL have developed a vacuum-assisted extrusion method that reduces internal porosity by up to 75% in large-scale 3D-printed polymer parts. This new technique addresses the critical issue of porosity in large-scale prints but also paves the way for stronger composites. 

The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s largest multi-program science and energy laboratory, have entered a strategic collaboration to establish a cutting-edge additive manufacturing center based in Norman, OK. 

Inspired by a visit to ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Jonaaron Jones launched a career in additive manufacturing that led to founding Volunteer Aerospace and now leading Beehive Industries’ external parts business. Through close collaboration with MDF, Jones has helped drive innovation in defense, aviation and energy, while growing high-tech jobs and strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base.

Troy Carter, director of the Fusion Energy Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, leads efforts to make fusion energy a reality, overseeing key projects like MPEX and fostering public-private collaborations in fusion research. 

US ITER has completed delivery of all components for the support structure of the central solenoid, the 60-foot-tall superconducting magnet that is the “heart” of the ITER fusion machine. 

During his first visit to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Energy Secretary Chris Wright compared the urgency of the Lab’s World War II beginnings to today’s global race to lead in artificial intelligence, calling for a “Manhattan Project 2.”

Using the Frontier supercomputer at ORNL, researchers have developed a new technique that predicts nuclear properties in record detail. The study revealed how the structure of a nucleus relates to the force that holds it together. This understanding could advance efforts in quantum physics and across a variety of sectors, from to energy production to national security.

Scientists at ORNL are using advanced germanium detectors to explore fundamental questions in nuclear physics, such as the nature of neutrinos and the matter-antimatter imbalance. The ongoing LEGEND project, an international collaboration, aims to discover neutrinoless double beta decay, which could significantly advance the understanding of the universe.

Scientists designing the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion power plant, ITER, needed to solve the problem of runaway electrons, negatively charged particles in the soup of matter in the plasma within the tokamak, the magnetic bottle intended to contain the massive energy produced. Simulations performed on Summit, the 200-petaflop supercomputer at ORNL, could offer the first step toward a solution.

A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels.