Capabilities

ORNL researchers develop alloys and also conduct alloy processing, microstructure characterization and mechanical (and other) property testing.

The ceramics program looks at physical properties, including microstructure and grain size, using a variety of characterization techniques such as neutron examination, spectroscopy, microscopy, and chemical analysis. Another area of inquiry is fabrication and synthesis techniques that can create more capable ceramics more efficiently and cost effectively. 

Physicists specializing in the dynamics of condensed matter use theory, computing and first-principles approaches to identify promising new materials, explain the behavior of existing materials and illuminate experimental results from other researchers.

The Materials Characterization Core is a catalog of advanced ORNL instrumentation available to laboratory staff for self-use or collaboration, providing coordination, awareness and scheduling for staff.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a broad suite of quantum optical, tunneling, and spin-based quantum sensing platforms.

The Creep Laboratory offers an unparalleled testing of materials by exerting a dynamic range of stress on them, whether that be in terms of temperature, force, strain rate, pressure, length scale, or time.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s mechanical properties researchers study how materials respond to diverse modes of stress – tension, compression, shear, bending, biaxial, triaxial, and hydrostatic – across a broad range of length scales and environments. 

The Irradiated Material Examination and Testing (IMET) Facility offers a comprehensive suite of post-irradiation examination (PIE) capabilities, including specialized physical and mechanical testing.

ORNL researchers are exploring material compatibilities in a wide range of pressure and temperature environments that are relevant for the public and private power generation, transportation and chemical processing sectors.

ORNL’s materials joining research connects science and technology to provide solutions and innovations in materials joining, such as welding and additive manufacturing, to a wide range of industry sectors.