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Oak Ridge National Laboratory quantum technologies power industry
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory go beyond breakthroughs to bring quantum innovation into the real world. Here are four ways ORNL-developed quantum technologies support industry, from healthcare to communications, cybersecurity to entrepreneurship.
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Technologies developed at ORNL to efficiently recover valuable electronic components are being commercialized by Appalachian Renewal Technologies. Recovering valuable materials from discarded electronics reduces the need for new sources of rare earth minerals, alleviates supply chain bottlenecks, and reduces American dependence on foreign sources for critical materials. Read more.
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Innovation Crossroads Cohort 2024 quantum start up, AtomQ, is working to revolutionize atomic manipulation in solid materials, a field with profound implications for semiconductors, quantum computing and materials engineering. In the realm of quantum computing, atomic manipulation is essential for creating and controlling qubits. Read more.
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New ORNL Inventions
Ocean Wave Energy Harvester
202305452 // Energy and Utilities // Transportation
A cost-effective, integrated power conversion system enables ocean wave energy harvesters to connect directly to the electrical grid with fewer conversion stages than conventional designs. By reducing size, weight, and complexity, the system increases energy efficiency and reliability in harsh marine environments, supporting greater adoption of renewable wave power for coastal communities.
Ductile Bulk Ionic Glasses
202305517 // Materials // Transportation
Traditional glasses are essential in modern society but are prone to brittle fracture, limiting their use in demanding applications. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a new class of bulk ionic glasses with enhanced ductility and ionic conductivity. These materials combine the desirable properties of traditional glass with improved resistance to cracking, offering potential advantages in energy storage, optics, and structural applications.
Cyber Grid Guard with Total Power Factor Smart Contract for Customer-Owned Electrical Utilities
202405720 // Energy and Utilities // Manufacturing
A secure, blockchain-enabled system improves the performance and reliability of electrical grids connected to customer-owned renewable energy sources. By managing power quality through automated smart contracts, the technology reduces energy losses while safeguarding critical grid control data. This solution addresses the growing challenge of integrating variable distributed energy resources without compromising operational stability or cybersecurity.
Extruder Adapter for Additive Manufacturing
202405782 // Manufacturing // Materials
This portable, universal adapter enhances in-situ quality control during polymer additive manufacturing. By integrating specialized thermal management, compaction, and monitoring systems, it improves part consistency, reliability, and production efficiency. The technology addresses common issues such as warping, uneven bonding, and variability in part quality, making it valuable for industries requiring high-performance polymer components.
Underground Boreholes Diurnal Storage
202405852 // Energy and Utilities
This technology transforms existing underground boreholes into dynamic diurnal thermal storage systems. By actively managing heat or cold transfer during non-peak hours, the approach improves heat pump performance, reduces peak electrical demand, and lowers system installation requirements. The result is a more cost-effective and energy-efficient ground-source heat pump solution, expanding accessibility for broader adoption.
CORSAIR: A Framework for Human Mobility Prediction through Visit Characterization and Spatial Behavior Modeling
202505890 // Security and Defense // Transportation
CORSAIR is a computational framework designed to improve predictions of human movement by identifying the intent and context behind travel patterns. Unlike traditional approaches that focus solely on location, CORSAIR characterizes visits to capture why people move between places, enabling more accurate forecasting of destination changes. By integrating spatial and temporal insights, the framework supports applications ranging from urban planning to emergency response. This approach enhances understanding of human mobility, helping organizations anticipate needs, optimize services, and respond effectively to dynamic conditions.
Preinstalled Sealants from Renewables
202505916 // Materials // Manufacturing
This technology offers a bio-based, force-activated sealant that is designed for prefabricated components. The sealant does not cure while exposed to ambient conditions for up to eight months. Consequently, the sealant is designed to be installed off-site during manufacturing of prefabricated components because it will not cure during storage and transport of prefabricated components. Instead, the sealant cures on demand after pressure is applied at the job site. The formulation improves airtightness and waterproofing while reducing on-site labor and installation time. Its bio-based composition offers the potential to support more resilient supply chains while also matching the performance of commercial products.
Plastic Deconstruction Catalyst
202505957 // Chemicals // Manufacturing
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a thermally stable, scalable organocatalyst for chemical recycling of diverse plastic waste streams. The catalyst enables selective breakdown of certain polymers, including those in mixed or contaminated waste, into high-purity chemical building blocks for reuse. This technology addresses current recycling limitations by providing an efficient, cost-effective solution for processing plastics that are challenging to recycle mechanically, supporting a circular plastics economy.
Nylon Deconstruction into Adhesive
202505958 // Materials // Manufacturing
This technology enables the transformation of hard-to-recycle nylon materials into high-strength, reusable adhesives. By breaking nylon into functional building blocks through a controlled process, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a method to create adhesives that bond strongly to metals, composites, and other surfaces—even under elevated temperatures. The process not only addresses the recycling challenges of nylon but also delivers a scalable path for converting waste into high-value, thermally robust products for industries such as automotive and advanced manufacturing.
Lower Density, Creep-Resistant Nb-Based Alloys
202505959 // Materials // Security and Defense
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed lower-density niobium-based alloys engineered for improved high-temperature creep resistance in extreme environments such as turbine operations. These alloys are designed to operate at elevated temperatures while maintaining mechanical strength and ductility, potentially enabling longer service life and enhanced performance in demanding applications. By combining computational modeling with advanced processing, the technology addresses the challenge of achieving the necessary balance between low density, high-temperature performance, and manufacturability.
Creep-Resistant Nb-based Alloys
202505960 // Energy and Utilities // Security and Defense
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed niobium-based alloys with enhanced creep resistance for use in extreme high-temperature applications. These alloys are engineered to maintain mechanical integrity under sustained stress at elevated temperatures, addressing a critical need in next-generation turbine and high-performance industrial components. The approach balances material density, strength, and manufacturability to enable potential efficiency gains in energy and aerospace systems.
To learn more about these technologies, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call
865-574-1051.
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Want to learn more about how Oak Ridge brings quantum technologies to market?
Join ORNL at 3686 in Nashville!
On September 10, ORNL, CQC and CO.LAB will host From Lab to Launch: Quantum Innovation Meets Market Opportunity, an interactive session exploring the pathways of quantum technology to market. Register here.
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