September 22, 2026
6 MIN READ
ORNL shipped more than two tons of its historic lithium-7 enriched FLiBe salt to Natura Resources for a new molten salt research reactor in Texas. The transfer will help accelerate development of the first U.S. salt-fueled reactor since ORNL’s Molten Salt Reactor Experiment ended in 1969.
September 22, 2026
6 MIN READ
ORNL welcomed 60 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers for its second National Neutron Scattering School at SNS and HFIR. Participants gained hands-on experience with neutron scattering techniques while learning from experts and building connections in the field.
September 22, 2026
5 MIN READ
September 21, 2026
6 MIN READ
ORNL and Boeing 3D printed a nearly 2-ton metal mold to explore faster, more efficient manufacturing of thermoplastic composite aircraft parts. The project demonstrates how large-scale additive manufacturing could support aerospace and other U.S. industries.
September 18, 2026
5 MIN READ
ORNL received the IEEE Quantum Technical Community Distinguished Synergy Award for its collaborative approach to advancing quantum materials, computing, networking and sensing. The award recognizes ORNL’s work bringing together expertise, research facilities and partners to move quantum technologies from scientific discovery toward practical applications.
September 18, 2026
8 MIN READ
ORNL researchers are exploring how engineered bacterial spores could capture rare earth elements from acid mine drainage and other waste streams. The SpoREE project combines biology, AI and advanced analysis to develop reusable materials for recovering critical minerals.
September 18, 2026
8 MIN READ
A battery material can meet key performance measures in a small laboratory cell yet fall short when researchers build it into a complete battery cell. At ORNL, researchers in the STAR Lab are tackling that challenge by studying whether new battery technologies can withstand the demands of manufacturing and use.
September 17, 2026
6 MIN READ
LandScan Mosaic is a new global population distribution dataset from ORNL that models how buildings are used and occupied throughout the day. It provides more detailed population estimates and measures of uncertainty to support applications including disaster response, infrastructure planning and national security.
September 16, 2026
4 MIN READ
ORNL researchers developed a new optimization method that can quickly determine which generators should operate as power grids accommodate growing electricity demand from AI data centers. In testing, the method cut computation time for a 276-generator system from about 10 hours to less than one second while maintaining cost and reliability.
September 15, 2026
6 MIN READ
ORNL researchers developed a low-cost detector that continuously monitors air ducts at nuclear fuel cycle facilities for nuclear material buildup. The device can alert operators to potential safety and security concerns while providing more frequent monitoring than current methods.
September 11, 2026
3 MIN READ
Turning a new energy or manufacturing technology into a company can take years of research, specialized equipment and substantial investment. For nearly a decade, Innovation Crossroads, rooted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has given hard-tech entrepreneurs access to resources designed to help overcome those barriers.
September 9, 2026
6 MIN READ
ORNL researchers developed SimuScan, an AI framework that uses realistic synthetic data to identify nanoscale features in atomic force microscope images. It can guide microscopes toward the most informative areas of a sample for closer study.