Feature Articles

Stephen Streiffer began his tenure as director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory with a focus on enabling staff members, an awareness of the laboratory’s rich history and a commitment to addressing the most significant scientific and technical challenges.

New research has shown how a novel lithium-based electrolyte material, Li9N2Cl3, can be used to develop solid-state batteries that charge faster and store more energy than conventional designs. Experiments revealed the solid-electrolyte was not only stable in normal air environments, but it also inhibited the growth of dendrites — dangerous, branchlike formations that cause batteries to catch fire. 

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used carefully planned chemical design, neutron scattering and high-performance computing to help develop a new catalytic recycling process. The catalyst selectively and sequentially deconstructs multiple polymers in mixed plastics into pristine monomers. The new organocatalyst has proven to efficiently and quickly deconstruct multiple polymers — in around two hours. Such polymers include those used in materials such as safety goggles (polycarbonates), foams (polyurethanes), water bottles (polyethylene terephthalates) and ropes or fishing nets (polyamides), which together comprise more than 30% of global plastic production. Until now, no single catalyst has been shown to be effective on all four of these polymers.

Tribble, an experimental physicist, previously served as deputy director for science and technology at Brookhaven Lab. 

Programmatic growth can sometimes involve seeking new customers, but this has not been the case for Idaho National Laboratory’s Nuclear/Radiological Search and Response Training (N/RSRT) program, which turns 20 this year.

The annual Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing equips attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to use the world’s most powerful supercomputers for scientific research.

Twenty years ago, on Oct. 14, 2003, dignitaries gathered to declare the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) open for experiments. The NSRL facility, built by NASA at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, makes use of powerful particle beams to simulate the effects of space radiation. At its start, it had one straightforward goal: Help scientists understand the risks astronauts would face during long-term missions to the moon or Mars.