Filter News
Area of Research
- (-) Isotopes (2)
- Advanced Manufacturing (1)
- Biological Systems (1)
- Biology and Environment (14)
- Clean Energy (43)
- Computational Biology (1)
- Computer Science (2)
- Electricity and Smart Grid (1)
- Fusion and Fission (1)
- Materials (20)
- Materials for Computing (3)
- National Security (3)
- Neutron Science (23)
- Nuclear Science and Technology (7)
- Quantum information Science (1)
- Sensors and Controls (1)
- Supercomputing (7)
- Transportation Systems (2)
Media Contacts
![Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory probed the chemistry of radium to gain key insights on advancing cancer treatments using radiation therapy. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-09/radium_0.jpg?h=dbdf53bf&itok=dMlhyVKO)
Researchers at ORNL explored radium’s chemistry to advance cancer treatments using ionizing radiation.
![ORNL welder Devin Johnson uses a new orbital welder to seal a hollow target in a glovebox in the lab’s Radiochemical Engineering Development Center. The new welder makes a clean seam on the metal target, eliminating the need for hand-finishing afterward. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2021-01/2021-P00359.jpg?h=8f9cfe54&itok=_g8_FpZZ)
A better way of welding targets for Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s plutonium-238 production has sped up the process and improved consistency and efficiency. This advancement will ultimately benefit the lab’s goal to make enough Pu-238 – the isotope that powers NASA’s deep space missions – to yield 1.5 kilograms of plutonium oxide annually by 2026.