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.

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.

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.

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

An approach combining multiple theories increases the accuracy of quantum-based simulations without increasing computational demands.

Hydrogen preferentially inserts at grain boundaries between interconnected chains of palladium nanoparticles, which have a lower energy barrier for hydrogen incorporation into the material.

A low-temperature, single-stage catalytic process converts PVC and polyolefin into valuable alkanes.

Scientists provide a guide for the rational application of continuum descriptions of fluid flows based on interfacial chemistry.

A team independently verified solid-state plutonium signal in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and acquired new fundamental insights of the physics and chemistry of plutonium dioxide.

Ice crystals are surprisingly tolerant of defects in their structure. The findings come from the first-ever molecular-resolution observations of nanoscale samples of ice frozen from liquid water.

A comprehensive investigation provides quantitative data on the interaction between zeolite pores and linear alcohols, with hydroxyl group interactions playing the largest role.

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

A new peptoid force field better predicts the cis/trans equilibrium of peptoids in multiple solvents.

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

A new approach combining computational processes enables the more accurate simulation of nuclear quantum effects in molecular systems.

Micron and PNNL co-design the Crete computer system, delivering a new memory architecture for data-intensive scientific computing and AI applications.

The first direct molecular-scale evidence of the temperature-driven transformation of the coordination environment of ytterbium at geologically relevant conditions.

Delivering an integrated quantum-mechanical and experimental perspective on the effects of both intrinsic and externally applied electric fields at atomic-scale interfaces.