With support from the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Texas-based company Element3 has launched the first domestic lithium mining project in 50 years. This achievement is likely to have a big impact, turning the United States from a net importer of lithium to a country well on the
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.
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.
ORNL and KVA Stainless completed a DOE-funded study validating the performance of welded Grade 91 steel for use in high-temperature energy systems. The results will help KVA refine its advanced welding technology and support the development of durable materials for future fission and fusion reactors.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is advancing nuclear battery technology to provide reliable, long-lasting power for remote and extreme environments, from deep space to national security applications. ORNL researchers are exploring new radioisotope fuels, more efficient energy conversion, improved thermal management and advanced manufacturing to make nuclear batteries safer, more efficient and easier to deploy.
Quantum physics describes the way nature behaves at small scales. For example, this includes describing the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic level.
Quantum communications is the transmission of quantum information, which enables fundamentally new improvements to security, computing, and sensors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has broad capabilities in quantum communications.
ORNL has developed a new californium-252 processing method that reduces separation time by about a week while maintaining the same quality. As the only producer of californium-252 in the western world, ORNL is also increasing production to meet growing demand for the isotope.
We bring together world-leading capabilities from across ORNL –nuclear, computing, AI, manufacturing, and more to move rapidly from scientific discovery to deployable solutions. National security cuts across all of ORNL’s strategic priorities: Translating science from Atoms to Applications leads to breakthrough solutions in defense manufacturing, critical minerals, and biotechnologies. The Future of Computing includes secure
