Feature Articles

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Jun-2026 07:16 ET (7-Jun-2026 11:16 GMT/UTC)

Polymer upcycling of common plastic adds toughness, recyclability to structural adhesives

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used polymer chemistry to transform a common household plastic into a reusable adhesive with a rare combination of strength and ductility, making it one of the toughest materials ever reported.

Four Sandians recognized by Society of Women Engineers

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

This fall, four Sandia National Laboratories employees were recognized by the Society of Women Engineers. Laura Biedermann, Annie Dallman, Erica Douglas and Chris LaFleur were recognized for their professional excellence, leadership and support of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

Argonne-Commerce Department partnership seeks to strengthen local economies impacted by COVID-19

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory

A new data tool reveals COVID-19 economic impacts — and opportunities for growth.

Argonne scientists tapped for principal roles advancing next-generation nuclear

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has recently selected three Argonne scientists, Robert Hill, Bo Feng and Meimei Li, to principal roles in ushering in the next generation of nuclear reactors that could fill a crucial energy niche.

National labs support safe nuclear waste disposal by studying safety material for underground sites

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Geoscientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and two other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories, Sandia and Los Alamos, are collaborating on the HotBENT project. This international field experiment is evaluating how well the natural, clay-based material (bentonite) placed around canisters of buried, high-level nuclear waste retains its safety functions when exposed to simulated long-term heating.

Economic Impact: Sandia spends $3.9B, exceeds small-business goals

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

Supporting a growing workforce and a wide range of businesses, Sandia National Laboratories contributed an all-time high of $3.9 billion into the economy during fiscal year 2021.

Live Celebration, Q&A: Brookhaven Lab's 75th Anniversary

DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory will kick-off its 75th anniversary with a live-streamed celebration. Meet three of the Lab’s leaders as they share their vision for the future of particle physics, climate science, quantum information science, and more. Then, the panel will answer questions from a live, virtual audience.

Taking on decarbonization in the ag sector: ORNL summit highlights focus areas

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Energy and sustainability experts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, industry, universities and the federal government recently identified key focus areas to meet the challenge of successfully decarbonizing the agriculture sector, as well as scientific resources that the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories can bring to the table.

Artificially altered material could accelerate neuromorphic device development

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Neuromorphic devices — which emulate the decision-making processes of the human brain — show great promise for solving pressing scientific problems, but building physical systems to realize this potential presents researchers with a significant challenge. An international team has gained additional insights into a material compound called vanadium oxide, or VO2, that might be the missing ingredient needed to complete a reliable neuromorphic recipe.

Journal: Physical Review B
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea

Using ion soft landing to solve hard energy problems

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

In adjoining Energy Sciences Center laboratories, researchers develop better energy storage devices by understanding the fundamental reactions that form interfaces.