Award-winning research advances AI applications for environmental cleanup.

PNNL’s nondestructive evaluation capabilities support advancements in nuclear energy, including research for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to preserve the nation’s existing nuclear fleet.

A newly published custom collection of glass formulas for nuclear waste vitrification — developed and validated by PNNL over the past three years — was made possible in that timeframe with AI tools, including a PNNL machine learning model.

The Hanford Site is now immobilizing radioactive waste in glass: a process known as vitrification. PNNL contributed 60 years of materials science expertise—and is providing operational support—to help the nation meet this cleanup milestone.

Mystery of how important aluminum minerals form and dissolve solved with materials science and advanced imaging studies.

Nanosize platelets of an aluminum material slide and join in a staggered orientation to form larger crystals.

Early career researchers recognized with Team Science Award by the Department of Energy for presentation highlighting the collaborative science performed by IDREAM.

IDREAM researchers uncovered how dimeric complexes control how aluminum hydroxide minerals dissolve.

PNNL brings its expertise to the space domain by joining an organization that facilitates collaboration across the global space industry.

Researchers have begun a series of experiments that could bring about more energy for grid, thanks to a special delivery of 11 "high burnup" rods.

From vehicles and airplanes to solid-phase processing of metals—how Curt Lavender and his team at PNNL solve industry problems with practical ingenuity.

The Department of Energy Art of Science contest entry focuses on the extraordinary universe of chemical bond making and breaking under irradiation.

Trace amounts of iron and chromium can incorporate into gibbsite, affecting how the mineral dissolves.

Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) imparts significantly more deformation compared to conventional extrusion. The latest ShAPE system at PNNL, ShAPEshifter, is a purpose-built machine designed for maximum configurability.

Researchers at PNNL studied the effects of high temperatures and ionizing radiation on tungsten heavy alloys.

Increasing concentrations of ions slows the rate of particle aggregation in boehmite suspensions.

For PNNL’s Jonathan Evarts, Hope Lackey, and Erik Reinhart, this partnership with WSU opened doors and provided opportunities for their scientific careers to flourish.

By combining computational modeling with experimental research, scientists identified a promising composition that reduces the need for a critical material in an alloy that can withstand extreme environments.

PNNL’s year in review includes highlights ranging from advancing soil science to understanding Earth systems, expanding electricity transmission, detecting fentanyl, and applying artificial intelligence to aid scientific discovery.

New IDREAM research explores the effects of electrolyte species on boehmite nanoparticle aggregation in legacy wastes.