Â鶹ӰÒô

Stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum, carbon fiber is a staple in aerospace and high-performance vehicles — and now, scientists at ORNL have found a way to make it even stronger.

Using the now-decommissioned Summit supercomputer, researchers at ORNL ran the largest and most accurate molecular dynamics simulations yet of the interface between water and air during a chemical reaction. The simulations have uncovered how water controls such chemical reactions by dynamically coupling with the molecules involved in the process. 

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. 

Van Graves, an engineering manager at ORNL, is celebrating 40 years of dedicated service leading a diverse range of prominent engineering projects at ORNL and internationally. 

As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs.

Using the Frontier supercomputer, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted large-scale calculations to chart the isospin density of a neutron star across a range of conditions. Their work provides new insights into how pressure and density interact within neutron stars, offering important predictions about their inner workings.

Analyzing massive datasets from nuclear physics experiments can take hours or days to process, but researchers are working to radically reduce that time to mere seconds using special software being developed at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley and Oak Ridge national laboratories.  

The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s largest multi-program science and energy laboratory, have entered a strategic collaboration to establish a cutting-edge additive manufacturing center. 

Mariam Kiran, a quantum research scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was recently honored as a finalist at the British Council’s Study U.K. Alumni Awards 2025, which celebrate the achievements of U.K. alumni worldwide.

Fehmi Yasin, inspired by a high school teacher, now researches quantum materials at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aiming to transform information technology with advanced imaging techniques.