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Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the US ITER Project Office, which is housed at ORNL, have developed a new cast stainless steel that is 70 percent stronger than comparable steels and is being evaluated for use in the huge shield modules required by the ITER fusion device.

Eight Oak Ridge National Laboratory nanomanufacturing technologies have won $8.4 million in funding from the DOE's Industrial Technologies Program. The awards are the result of a peer-reviewed competitive bid process from a DOE nanomanufacturing call.

Four Oak Ridge National Laboratory technologies to improve energy efficiency in industry have won funding from the Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program. The projects, ranging from a heat-free heat treatment for industrial steels to less expensive better welds for large oil and gas pipelines, will bring $7.5 million to ORNL and another $3 million to industry partners.

Students in Morgan, Roane, Scott and Sevier counties are getting new lab equipment for their science classrooms, thanks to a $47,500 gift from UT-Battelle.

Despite widespread concern about climate change, annual carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels and manufacturing cement have grown 38 percent since 1992, from 6.1 billion tons of carbon to 8.5 billion tons in 2007.

DOE has just released the 27th edition of the Transportation Energy Data Book. Specialized skills and instruments are helping a major manufacturer of microturbines make products expected to set new standards for performance and reliability. Fragments of tektites, natural glass objects, discovered by a team of geologists and geochemists help support a theory that a meteorite may be responsible for the sudden climate change that devastated large mammals in North America 11,000 years ago.

By examining natural variation among cottonwood trees in nature, scientists hope to develop a strategy to maximize production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass. Utilities have a new tool that provides them with a clearer picture of the wide-area electricity transmission system and enables decision-makers to respond swiftly to major power disruptions. A recent study could make risk assessments even more useful. ORNL is providing technical expertise and assistance in the installation of solar energy systems and related educational materials.

A new material characterized at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could open a pathway toward more efficient fuel cells.