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

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.

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.

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.

Seaweed could be a new source of critical minerals for electronics, vehicles, and buildings.

PNNL researchers continue to deliver high-quality, high-impact research on radioactive waste and nuclear materials management, earning “Papers of Note” and “Superior Paper” awards.

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

Researchers have developed the first coastal transport model for microplastics to understand how particles move in waterways and coastal currents.

This research helps predict how coastal forests will respond to future sea level changes which is crucial for protecting these ecosystems.

PNNL researchers showcased subsurface sampling and remediation expertise at the 2025 Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable.

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.

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.

Due to their inherent variability and complexity over space and time, scientists are challenged to understand the complex interactions among soil, vegetation, and water along coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces.

This study characterized above- and below-ground properties to explore the spatial heterogeneity of the terrestrial aquatic interface ecosystem within the Chesapeake Bay area and evaluate the major drivers of soil respiration.

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

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.

RemPlex and IAEA convene international leaders to tackle recruitment and retention in complex environmental cleanup efforts.

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.

Solid phase manufacturing can create new custom metal alloys through an innovative process called solid phase alloying, researchers from PNNL report.