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.

Chiral nanotubes facilitate the direction-specific diffusion of carbon dioxide to be faster than nitrogen gas.

Novel Applications for Synchronized Power Instrumentation seeks to improve electric grid resilience, reliability, security, and affordability.

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

Secretary Wright visited PNNL's campus in Richland, Washington, late last year to meet with innovators in chemistry, biology, computing, and more.

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.

Nanoscale domains of magnetically susceptible critical materials encounter enhanced magnetic interactions under external magnetic fields, providing a promising new avenue for separations.

The size of graphene oxide sheets affects the ability of assembled membranes and adsorbents to separate rare earth elements.

CESER and PNNL convened a three-day summit with more than 100 state officials, cybersecurity experts, and industry leaders across 35 states to advance energy security planning, cyber risk assessment, and fortify protections against attacks.

A PNNL team has developed an energy- and chemical-efficient method of separating valuable critical minerals from dissolved solutions of rare earth element magnets.

Surface manganese mining from nodules in South Dakota is now possible with a new scalable selective precipitation process.

Cobalt substitution for magnesium in a model mafic mineral dramatically slows reaction with carbon dioxide to form a cobalt-doped carbonate.

Precipitation with sodium hydroxide in a flow-gel device enables the rapid extraction of magnesium from seawater in a new scalable process.

The atomic-level distribution of nickel and cobalt in forsterite depends on the concentration of the different elements.

The surface oxygen functionality of graphene oxide may be tuned using ultraviolet light, affecting how differently charged ions move through the material.

PNNL computing experts Robert Rallo and Court Corley contribute their knowledge to a recent DOE report on applications of AI to energy, materials, and the power grid.

Practical decontamination of industrial wastewater depends on energy-efficient separations. This study explored using ionic liquids as part of the process, enabling efficient electrochemical separation from aqueous solutions.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory launches the Training Outreach and Recruitment for Cybersecurity Hydropower program at the University of Texas at El Paso.