Amine functionalized graphene oxide yields laminates with an enhanced capacity to adsorb rare earth elements, improved water transport, and greater stability for effective membrane-based separation of critical minerals.

Five PNNL innovations earned 2026 R&D 100 Awards for advances in biotechnology, manufacturing, critical minerals, and nuclear security.

Replacing commercial acid with acidic waste enables researchers to improve nickel extraction efficiency, lower projected costs, and improve process economics.

Localized gradients in magnetic fields have long-range effects on the concentration of rare earth ions in solution, facilitating field-driven extraction of critical minerals.

Studying a series of rare earth element compounds revealed differences in their magnetic behavior that will be leveraged for separations.

Soil mineral preferentially incorporates rare earth elements based on size, with implications for critical mineral extraction.

The Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy acting assistant secretary makes his first visit to a national laboratory in his new role, touring PNNL's Radiochemical Processing Laboratory.

PNNL researchers review ceramic-metal composite technology for immobilizing radioactive wastes from nuclear reactors, including advanced reactors.

PNNL researchers use chemometric analysis to model chemistry in molten salt.

Resolving how nanoparticles come together is important for industry and environmental remediation. New work predicts nanoparticle aggregation behavior across a wide range of scales for the first time.

A poem inspired by radioactive tank waste—“Can a Scientist Dream it Alone?”—was awarded first place in the Department of Energy’s Poetry of Science Art Contest.

Irradiated boehmite nanoplatelets form smaller aggregates and have a rougher surface than non-irradiated platelets.

Hydrogen bonding and proton transfer control the identity and reactivity of molecules in highly concentrated and alkaline aluminate solutions.

Researchers identified a new intermediate phase that forms during the crystallization of hydrated aluminum-containing salts.

The amount of radiation in a system influences how fast aggregated boehmite particles dissolve.

Simulations show that pH influences boehmite nanoparticle structure and sorption ability.

Developing a new understanding of the structure of natrophosphate, a complex mineral found in radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Site, by integrating experimental techniques.

The size and concentration of ions influences the aggregation behavior of solutions of boehmite.

Performing a network analysis of forces between particles reveals new insight into shear induced thinning and thickening in non-Newtonian fluids.

IDREAM researchers show that high concentrations of sodium hydroxide significantly impact the molecular and macroscale properties of sodium nitrite solutions.