South Carolina
South Carolina
ORNL’s partnerships in South Carolina have made great use of laboratory expertise: the National Institute of Standards and Technology uses ORNL-produced isotopes for research; researchers from the University of South Carolina studied aspects of safe nuclear energy through neutron science at the Spallation Neutron Source; and Soteria Battery Innovation Group licensed ORNL energy storage technology in their pursuit of safer batteries.
ORNL’s user facilities offer a diverse set of tools for experiments across a range of fields, including biology, materials and energy sciences, physics, engineering, and chemistry. Learn more about ORNL’s user facilities. Data reflects fiscal year 2020 except for scientific publications, which covers 2016–2020. Partner stories reflect work conducted from 2016 to present.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology in Charleston uses ORNL-produced mercury-201 for research in nanoscale science, looking at how systems interact when confined to nanoscale dimensions, and atomic measurements. Outcomes can lead to the development of new materials for science, energy, and medicine with much higher performance.
A team of researchers from the University of South Carolina used ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source to help develop waste forms for safely storing hazardous substances. Salt-inclusion materials—materials that become trapped inside salt minerals as they form—have characteristics that can safely immobilize nuclear waste. The team is developing the fundamental chemistry needed to design waste forms such as this over the next several years.
The Soteria Battery Innovation Group has exclusively licensed and optioned an ORNL technology designed to make lithium-ion batteries safer, ensuring their use in electric vehicles, air taxis, and many other energy applications. The option makes this technology immediately available to Soteria’s consortium members for research and product development, which includes NASA, Mercedes, DuPont, Motorola, and Bosch as well as other participants from throughout the entire supply chain.
For more information, contact news@ornl.gov.
