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ORNL researchers combined 3D printing and PM-HIP to make large metal parts faster, cheaper and with less waste. The process enables complex, high-performance components for nuclear, aerospace and energy applications while helping strengthen U.S. manufacturing and supply chains.
ARC and ORNL signed an MOU to accelerate AI-enabled, on-demand production of qualified, mission-critical components for U.S. national security applications. The partnership will combine ORNL's computing and manufacturing capabilities with ARC's ARCNet distributed manufacturing platform to create a closed-loop system for AI-enabled materials and manufacturing qualification and autonomous production at defense-relevant scale.
ORNL scientists demonstrated a new way to make aluminum nitride store data using far less energy by creating controlled defects with a focused helium ion beam. The approach reduced the energy needed for polarization switching by about 40% and could support more efficient memory and wireless communication devices using existing chip manufacturing methods.
Researchers at ORNL developed an on-machine monitoring system that uses a tactile sensor and algorithms to detect cutting tool wear with about 98% accuracy in seconds. The system provides consistent, real-time feedback unaffected by lighting, helping manufacturers reduce downtime, optimize tool use and lower costs.
An ORNL AI model can accurately predict river temperatures across the U.S., even in waterways without sensors. The system achieves about a 1.1°C median error and can estimate temperatures for all river reaches nationwide. Researchers say it could improve power plant cooling, energy reliability and environmental management.
Researchers at ORNL confirmed altermagnetism in hematite using neutron scattering, identifying a common, stable mineral as a promising, low-cost material for energy-efficient spintronic technologies.
As the U.S. reimagines its nuclear future, researchers at ORNL are experimenting with molten lead and next-generation materials to reinvent a classic reactor design for a new era of innovation. To evaluate the alloy’s performance in these conditions, researchers are testing AFA samples in eight small rabbit capsules encased in solid lead in ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor.
Researchers with the DOE's Quantum Science Center, led by ORNL, demonstrated the first digital quantum simulations of spin transport in one-dimensional materials, showing how quantum computers can model energy and information flow and advancing tools for studying complex quantum systems.
Researchers at ORNL have uncovered a path to design superionic polymer electrolytes for solid-state batteries and other energy applications that could help ensure a future of abundant and reliable energy for the United States.
Researchers at ORNL developed a method to convert a commonly discarded hydrocarbon polymer into gasoline- and diesel-like fuels. The team has applied for a patent for the discovery, which treats polyethylene — the stuff of white cutting boards and shopping bags — with aluminum chloride-containing molten salts that serve as both solvent and catalyst. If scaled beyond the laboratory, the process could strengthen U.S. energy security and industrial competitiveness.