News

June 4, 2026

8 MIN READ

ORNL partnership helps ACP Technologies scale materials for graphite and carbon fiber

ORNL and ACP Technologies have partnered for more than seven years to advance pitch-based materials for carbon fiber and synthetic graphite production, helping move the technology from laboratory research to pilot-scale manufacturing. Through work at ORNL and the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, ACP refined its mesophase pitch materials and established a new pilot production facility in Kentucky, with a commercial-scale plant planned for 2029. The collaboration supports domestic supply chains for energy storage, transportation, aerospace, and defense applications.

December 4, 2024

10 MIN READ

Thunderstruck: Researchers demonstrate lightning strike protection tech for composites

ORNL researchers reached a significant milestone by building an entire 6.5-foot turbine blade tip using novel materials. The team then tested it against the forces of simulated lightning in a specialized lab at Mississippi State University, where the blade tip emerged pristine after tests that isolate the effects of high voltage.

November 14, 2024

5 MIN READ

Brian Iezzi: Coding transparency into textile recycling

Fibarcode, founded by Brian Iezzi, develops technology that embeds a digital barcode into fibers to improve textile recycling, and as a participant in the Innovation Crossroads program at ORNL, aims to reduce the fashion industry's environmental impact by providing transparency about garment composition and origin throughout its lifecycle.

October 9, 2024

4 MIN READ

Wind blade composite project from ORNL wins green design innovation award

ORNL researchers were honored with a prestigious ACE Award for Composites Excellence by the American Composites Manufacturers Association. The team won the “innovation in green composites design” prize for creating a fully recyclable, lightweight wind turbine blade tip that incorporates low-cost carbon fiber and conductive coating for enhanced protection against lightning strikes.

November 3, 2023

5 MIN READ

‘Cradle to cradle’ research expands composites’ 3D-printing possibilities

Researchers at ORNL are extending the boundaries of composite-based materials used in additive manufacturing, or AM. ORNL is working with industrial partners who are exploring AM, also known as 3D printing, as a path to higher production levels and fewer supply chain interruptions.

January 19, 2023

2 MIN READ

ORNL’s Merlin Theodore appointed to National Science Board

Merlin Theodore is one of eight new board members announced by President Biden; she will join the 25-member board for a six-year term.

September 7, 2022

5 MIN READ

ORNL showcases defense manufacturing capabilities

Last month, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory to see how DOE's science investments are applied directly to real-world DoD missions.

April 4, 2022

1 MIN READ

Materials — Self-sanitizing N95 masks

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers collaborated with Iowa State University and RJ Lee Group to demonstrate a safe and effective antiviral coating for N95 masks. The coating destroys the COVID-19-causing coronavirus and could enable reuse of masks made from various fabrics.

March 8, 2022

2 MIN READ

International Women’s Day

December 1, 2021

4 MIN READ

ORNL, Tuskegee University collaborate on advanced bioderived materials research

ORNL and Tuskegee University have formed a partnership to develop new biodegradable materials for use in buildings, transportation and biomedical applications.

October 22, 2021

10 MIN READ

Seven ORNL technologies win R&D 100 research awards

Research teams from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and their technologies have received seven 2021 R&D 100 Awards, plus special recognition for a COVID-19-related project.

April 6, 2021

7 MIN READ

Powerful polymers: ORNL study provides new insights into N95’s COVID-19 filter efficiency

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Parans Paranthaman suddenly found himself working from home like millions of others.