Oak Ridge National Laboratory

08/29/2026

📸 ORNL in Focus: What do you think is happening in this photo?

At first glance, it just looks like a tiny metal drill bit under bright lights, but those lights are actually part of an imaging system that captures precise measurements of tool wear.

At the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, researchers measure how cutting tools wear over time. Those measurements train AI models that can predict tool life and optimize machining before problems occur, helping manufacturers reduce waste, lower costs, and improve productivity.

08/28/2026

ORNL researchers have developed a hybrid manufacturing method that could simplify production of complex metal parts, reduce costs and reliance on overseas manufacturing, and strengthen U.S. supply chains for nuclear energy and defense applications.

Combining electroforming and 3D printing for leak-free components Published: August 24, 2026 Updated: August 24, 2026 A hybrid manufacturing process combines 3D printing, electroforming and hot isostatic pressing to produce critical components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defen...

08/27/2026

ORNL scientists created a high-confidence toolkit that makes it easier and faster to engineer microorganisms for biotechnology applications.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4y1wvRV

08/26/2026

ORNL’s seventh annual Quantum Computing User Forum strengthened collaborations across the quantum community.

Learn more about how ORNL is developing the technologies, software ecosystem and workforce needed to make quantum computing a practical tool for scientific discovery👇

Annual forum highlights ORNL’s leadership in advancing hybrid quantum-HPC technologies and building the future quantum computing workforce Published: August 19, 2026 Updated: August 24, 2026 Attendees gathered for the seventh annual Quantum Computing User Forum. Credit: Alonda Hines/ORNL, U.S. Dep...

08/26/2026

A new collaboration ORNL, industry and education partners together to advance nuclear manufacturing and construction while creating skilled career pathways in East Tennessee!

Published: August 21, 2026 Updated: August 21, 2026 NuCAMP initiative formally announced at Kairos Power's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy Kairos Power announced the Nuclear Center for Advanced Manufacturing and...

08/25/2026

ORNL is advancing nuclear battery technology to provide reliable, long-lasting power for remote and extreme environments, from deep space to national security applications.

“The promise and hope of a nuclear battery is long duration power supplies,” said Brad Johnson, who leads ORNL's Nuclear Battery Initiative. “Nuclear batteries are a proven and safe technology that can provide this kind of power, and we are developing advanced technologies to improve their performance and safety.”

Published: August 17, 2026 Updated: August 17, 2026 NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with several of the 10 sample tubes it deposited at a sample depot it is creating within an area of Jezero Crater nicknamed “Three Forks.” The rover's radioisotope thermoelectric generator is power...

08/24/2026

Newly discovered electrical behaviors in cellular membranes could advance brain-inspired computing technologies and provide new insights into neurological disorders.

Read more ⬇️

ORNL-led research supporting materials science for neuromorphic computing and neurological disorders shows lipid bilayers are an integral part of biological memory and learning Published: August 17, 2026 Updated: August 18, 2026 A droplet interface bilayer (water droplets suspended in oil) served as...

08/23/2026

Science doesn't always look the way you'd expect.

The shimmering colors on this metal component aren't from paint or light effects. They're the result of electron beam additive manufacturing, a process that builds complex parts with exceptional precision.

Inside an argon-filled chamber, metal powder is melted and fused layer by layer to create shapes that would be difficult or impossible to make using traditional manufacturing methods. The technology could help produce components for demanding applications, including next-generation nuclear energy systems, where precision is essential.

08/21/2026

ORNL and Idaho National Laboratory are teaming up to develop wire-arc additive manufacturing techniques for large industrial pressure vessels.

The goal: combine advanced manufacturing with AI and real-time data to evaluate each part as it’s printed, helping accelerate qualification and strengthen domestic nuclear manufacturing and supply chains.

Learn how the labs are working to move nuclear manufacturing technology from research toward real-world deployment: https://bit.ly/3RZOwRm

08/21/2026

What can 80 years of isotope science make possible?

Cancer treatments. Safer airports. Nuclear energy. Space exploration. Even a new element on the periodic table.

It all started in 1946, when Oak Ridge shipped the first reactor-produced radioisotope for peacetime use. Today, ORNL can provide more than 250 isotopes, with new facilities on the way to expand U.S. capabilities for medicine, industry, research and national security.

Explore 80 years of isotope science and what could come next ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4ghuN7F