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.

As Laboratory Director Steve Ashby pens his last monthly column, he highlights PNNL’s accomplishments with pride and gratitude.

A breakthrough at PNNL could free friction stir from current constraints—and open the door for increased use of the advanced manufacturing technique on commercial assembly lines.

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

David Heldebrant was selected for the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from the American Chemical Society Division of Energy & Fuels, recognizing his impact to energy and fuels chemistry.

This summer, PNNL hosted the inaugural “As Conductive As Copper” (AC2.0) workshop, fostering a collaborative conversation on the future of the U.S. copper supply chain.

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

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 Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage consortium is a major effort to create superior, no-compromise batteries that replace lithium with inexpensive, domestically abundant sodium and use few—if any—critical materials.

Scientists have tapped AI and powerful computing to speed up how quickly officials are able to learn important details about nuclear events.

Experiments focus on catalysts for off-road vehicles that optimize the use of critical minerals while lasting longer and costing less.

This study used historical data, remote sensing, and aquatic sensors to measure how far wildfire impacts propagated through the watershed after the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire, New Mexico’s largest wildfire in history.

The Coastal Observations, Mechanisms, and Predictions Across Systems and Scales: Field, Measurements, and Experiments project established a network of observational field sites across Chesapeake Bay and western Lake Erie.

PNNL researchers received an award from the Materials, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) for a publication on friction riveting.

Ampcera has an exclusive licensing agreement with PNNL to commercially develop and license a new battery material for applications such as vehicles and personal electronics.

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.

Sergei Kalinin, a joint appointee at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and PNNL, and Ji-Guang (Jason) Zhang, a PNNL Lab Fellow, are part of the 2024 class of National Academy of Inventors Fellows.