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

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

pearcejw@ornl.gov Thu, 01/20/2022 - 09:00

Researchers at ORNL 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.

For nearly a decade, ORNL’s Brian Fricke has investigated alternative refrigerants with low global warming potential for use in building equipment, such as commercial supermarket coolers and heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
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Brian Fricke: Pioneering refrigerant work delivers big gains in carbon footprint reduction

Brian Fricke: Pioneering refrigerant work delivers big gains in carbon footprint reduction

pearcejw@ornl.gov Wed, 01/19/2022 - 10:32

When Brian Fricke walks into a supermarket, evidence of his scientific achievement is all around in the refrigerated cases housing the fresh fruits and vegetables. As an Oak Ridge National Laboratory building equipment researcher, Fricke has a long history of making sure that produce is kept fresh in an energy efficient and environmentally sound manner.

ORNL Corporate Fellow and Geospatial Science and Human Security Division Director Budhu Bhaduri has been elected as a fellow of the American Association of Geographers. The honor recognizes Bhaduri for his “innovation, mentorship and wide-ranging leadership” in geographic sciences. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
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Budhu Bhaduri elected fellow of the American Association of Geographers

Budhu Bhaduri elected fellow of the American Association of Geographers

dunlapkk@ornl.gov Tue, 01/18/2022 - 08:27

ORNL’s Budhendra “Budhu” Bhaduri has been elected a fellow of the American Association of Geographers. The honor recognizes Bhaduri as “a world leader in innovation, development and application of research in human dynamics, geographic data science, remote sensing and scalable geocomputation.”

Heath Huckabay has always been interested in solving problems in reverse, a desire that led him to his latest challenge – building a capability to detect rogue nuclear emissions from anywhere in the world to understand where they came from.
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ORNL Researcher confronts inverse problems to deflect nuclear proliferation

ORNL Researcher confronts inverse problems to deflect nuclear proliferation

neunsingerel@o… Wed, 01/12/2022 - 16:14

Heath Huckabay has always been interested in solving problems in reverse, a desire that led him to his latest challenge – building a capability to detect rogue nuclear emissions from anywhere in the world to understand where they came from.

Biofuels, such as those derived from the switchgrass being harvested in this field in Vonore, Tennessee, are just one of the technology-based solutions that ORNL summit participants identified recently as key to decarbonizing the agriculture sector. Credit: Erin G. Webb, ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy.
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Taking on decarbonization in the ag sector: ORNL summit highlights focus areas

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

pearcejw@ornl.gov Wed, 01/12/2022 - 09:00

Energy and sustainability experts from ORNL, industry, universities and the federal government recently identified key focus areas to meet the challenge of successfully decarbonizing the agriculture sector

Using quantum Monte Carlo methods, the researchers simulated bulk VO2. Yellow and turquoise represent changes in electron density between the excited and ground states of a compound composed of oxygen, in red, and vanadium, in blue, which allowed them to evaluate how an oxygen vacancy, in white, can alter the compound’s properties. Credit: Panchapakesan Ganesh/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
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Artificially altered material could accelerate neuromorphic device development

Artificially altered material could accelerate neuromorphic device development

pearcejw@ornl.gov Mon, 01/10/2022 - 09:12

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

This protein drives key processes for sulfide use in many microorganisms that produce methane, including Thermosipho melanesiensis. Researchers used supercomputing and deep learning tools to predict its structure, which has eluded experimental methods such as crystallography.  Credit: Ada Sedova/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
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Scientists use Summit supercomputer, deep learning to predict protein functions at genome scale

Scientists use Summit supercomputer, deep learning to predict protein functions at genome scale

pearcejw@ornl.gov Mon, 01/10/2022 - 09:00

A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology is using supercomputing and revolutionary deep learning tools to predict the structures and roles of thousands of proteins with unknown functions.

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation has licensed a novel method to 3D print highly resistant components for use in nuclear reactor designs. USNC Executive Vice President Kurt Terrani, formerly of ORNL, said the novel method will allow the company to make parts with desired complex shapes more efficiently. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
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Ultra Safe Nuclear licenses ORNL method to 3D print advanced reactor components

Ultra Safe Nuclear licenses ORNL method to 3D print advanced reactor components

shoemakerms@ornl.gov Thu, 01/06/2022 - 16:21

A novel method to 3D print components for nuclear reactors, developed by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been licensed by Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation.