Âé¶¹Ó°Òô

Skip to main content

All News

ORNL's Communications team works with news media seeking information about the laboratory. Media may use the resources listed below or send questions to news@ornl.gov.

1 - 4 of 4 Results

Two ORNL researchers inspect carbon fiber materials - one black rectangular sheet and one see-through sheet of film.

Researchers at ORNL have developed an innovative new technique using carbon nanofibers to enhance binding in carbon fiber and other fiber-reinforced polymer composites – an advance likely to improve structural materials for automobiles, airplanes and other applications that require lightweight and strong materials. 

A 3D printing nozzle wrapped in insulation extrudes black composite material into a small square mold on a green and white flat surface in a lab setting. Inset shows a close-up of a pressure gauge connected to brass valves and tubing.

Scientists at ORNL have developed a vacuum-assisted extrusion method that reduces Âé¶¹Ó°Òô porosity by up to 75% in large-scale 3D-printed polymer parts. This new technique addresses the critical issue of porosity in large-scale prints but also paves the way for stronger composites. 

Representatives from The University of Toledo and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee are teaming up to conduct collaborative automotive materials research.†Credit: University of Toledo

ORNL and The University of Toledo have entered into a memorandum of understanding for collaborative research.

Layering on the strength

A team including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee researchers demonstrated a novel 3D printing approach called Z-pinning that can increase the material’s strength and toughness by more than three and a half times compared to conventional additive manufacturing processes.