Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists designed a recyclable polymer for carbon-fiber composites to enable circular manufacturing of parts that boost energy efficiency in automotive, wind power and aerospace applications.

Carbon-fiber composites, or fiber-reinforced polymers, are strong, lightweight materials that can help lower fuel consumption and reduce emissions in critical areas such as transportation. However, unlike metal competitors, carbon-fiber composites are not typically recyclable, meaning wider adoption could present waste challenges.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a tool that provides accurate measurements and positioning directions to those installing energy-efficient panels over existing building exteriors. This method will decrease installation time and cost by more than 25%.

One approach to upgrade aging buildings is to increase thermal performance and lower carbon emissions by fitting prefabricated insulated panels over the envelope – any part of a structure that separates the building’s internal and external environments.

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led research team discovered genetic mutations that underlie autism using a new approach that could lead to better diagnostics and drug therapies.

Scientists estimate 80% of autism is inherited, but they have yet to identify causative genes.

Neutron scattering techniques were used as part of a study of a novel nanoreactor material that grows crystalline hydrogen clathrates, or HCs, capable of storing hydrogen. The researchers, from ORNL and the University of Alicante, or UA, in Spain were inspired by nature, where methane hydrates grow in the pores and voids within natural sediments.

As the United States shifts away from fossil-fuel-burning cars and trucks, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories are exploring options for another form of transportation: trains. The research focuses on zero-carbon hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels as viable alternatives to diesel for the rail industry.