This mineral helps the oil industry process petroleum. Understanding how it gets clogged up will improve its lifespan.

Six PNNL researchers named to the list of the most highly cited in the world. The list features scientists from around the world whose citations rank in the top one percent within 22 subject areas.

PNNL tools that track underground contaminants and speed carbon capture technology development are among R&D Magazine's 100 most innovative scientific breakthroughs of the year.

Nuclear power figures prominently in our country's energy portfolio and is essential to our economic and environmental security.

There is a science website for kids that defines materials science as "the study of stuff" and, in the simplest of terms, that's right.

In fast-neutron reactors, fuel is sealed in ~7 millimeter diameter steel tubes called cladding. When a high-energy "fast" neutron strikes an atom in the steel, it can knock the atom out of place, like a cue ball striking another billiard ball. This leaves two types of damage in the metal: an empty spot where the atom was, and the displaced atom wedged between other atoms. Over time, these defects typically drive undesirable rearrangement of the microstructure, potentially reducing the life of the cladding.

Cybersecurity is increasingly top-of-mind and in the news. Individuals worry about identify theft and the compromise of financial and medical records. And the federal government battles myriad threats aimed at our national security.

How might getting old—really old—affect the glass waste form chosen to immobilize radioactive waste at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state? Researchers are seeking answers from walls containing ancient glass in Europe. These walls, known as hillforts, are defense structures that date as far back as the Bronze Age. The researchers progress is the cover story in the May 2016 American Ceramic Society Bulletin.

Steve Jobs said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." That is especially true in research and development. New technologies and creative solutions do not materialize overnight or on their own.

For the first time, researchers have been able to see what makes this titanium alloy so strong – and then make it stronger.

Discovery in action. These words describe what we do at PNNL. For more than 50 years, we have advanced the frontiers of science and engineering in the service of our nation and the the world.

PNNL takes pride in advancing scientific frontiers and developing solutions to vexing problems. In particular, we apply our technical expertise to address national needs in security, energy and the environment.

Software that can reason like an analyst and a new way of disinfecting rooms won awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.

PNNL will manage the newly formed Lightweight Materials National Lab Consortium or LightMAT – a network of nine national labs with technical capabilities that are highly relevant to lightweight materials development and use.

As Tri-Citians, we're fortunate that we don't have the frustrating traffic and long commutes that our friends in Seattle and Portland endure. And with lower prices at the pump, we don't think much about fuel efficiency.