New ORNL inventions

Irradiative Coloration of Gem Diaspore
202105018 // Materials
The technology describes methods for coloration of gem diaspore.

Next-Generation Heat Pump Dryer with an Embedded Energy Storage System for Combined Washer and Dryer
202205076 // Energy and Utilities // Materials
Technologies directed to heat pump dryers with embedded energy storage for combined washer and dryer are described.

Atomized Delivery for Atom-by-Atom E-Beam Fabrication
202205086 // Analytical Instrumentation // Manufacturing
This technology provides a device, platform and method of fabrication of new atomically tailored materials. This “synthescope” is a scanning transmission electron microscope transformed into an atomic-scale material manipulation platform. This allows precise placement of a single atom foreign to the material, creating a new material.

Method for Making Pellets Using a Disposable Die
202205087 // Materials
The technology describes method for making pellets using a disposable die.

Isothermal Ionic Liquid-based Membrane Fiber Bundle Absorber for Air Dehumidification
202205100 // Energy and Utilities
Technologies directed to isothermal ionic liquid-based membrane fiber bundle absorber for air dehumidification are described.

Method of Part Segmentation and Assembly for Fabrication of Complex Cylindrical Housings
202305299 // Materials // Security and Defense
This solution aims to significantly reduce the cost, lead time, and energy consumption with fabricating complex cylindrical casings and housings, similar to combustion chambers of gas turbines. 

Low-Cost Hot Melt Adhesives with Improved Adhesive Strength
202305428 // Manufacturing
Adhesives for metal parts typically are liquid-based which require complex processing. This technology is a hot melt adhesive that is mixed and applied in a solid form and after the heating and cooling cycle creates strong bonds with the substrates in a matter of seconds. These adhesives show excellent adhesion on the metal surface such as steel while they can be readily removed on demand. These adhesives can also adhere to aluminum, wood, and paper.

Chemical Upcycling of Poly(ethylene Terephthalate) Waste into Alpha-Omega-Dialkene Compounds
202305430 // Chemicals // Materials
Most plastic is discarded after a single use, with about 76% of plastic waste discarded into landfills annually. The current practice is wasting feedstock resources, energy, and carbon used for their production. This technology is a new and unique way to upcycle thermoplastic polyesters, specifically poly(ethylene terephthalate), breaking it down and converting it using chemical means into added value organic compounds that can be used as plasticizers, organic building blocks, or monomers for polymer synthesis. This upcycling process can help combat accumulation of plastic waste in the environment and help advance toward a net-zero carbon society. 

Substrate Exchange Turret with Laser Heating for Physical Vapor Deposition Platforms
202305442 // Materials
The substrate exchange turret with laser heating is a device that allows for up to ten substrates to be mounted into a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber at one time and be heated with a laser for temperature control during film growth. The turret rotates one of the ten substrates in line with the laser heater for thin film deposition while shielding the other nine. This device allows for artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to conduct ten successive thin film growth experiments without human intervention, enables autonomous thin film growth with PVD processes.

Method to Generate Temperature Inversion within a Porous Preform using Microwave for CVI Synthesis
202305443 // Manufacturing
Ceramic matrix composites are used in several industries, such as aerospace, for lightweight, high quality and high strength materials. But producing them is time consuming and often low quality. It usually takes 600 to 2,000 hours to produce using traditional methods, and the materials are difficult to manufacture. This technology utilizes microwaves for inverted heating of preform ceramic composites to reduce manufacture time but increase efficiency and quality and lower costs.

Novel Additively Manufactured Nb-Si-Cr-(Mo) Refractory Alloys with High Strength and Oxidation Resistance
202305447 // Transportation
High strength, oxidation resistant refractory alloys are difficult to fabricate for commercial use in extreme environments. A niobium-based alloy is the most widely commercially used refractory alloy as it can withstand high temperatures, large temperature gradients, and hypersonic speeds that cause high stress on materials. However, its low strength and poor oxidation resistance have limited its use. This technology utilizes additive manufacturing to fabricate improved and novel refractory alloys of high strength and oxidation resistance for extreme environments that overcome these obstacles.

Printable Steel with Good Balance of High Elevated Temperature Strength, Thermal Conductivity, and Oxidation Resistance
202305448 // Materials
This novel chemistry is for production of an age-hardenable high-temperature steel suitable for printing steel components by additive manufacturing. The composition conveys an excellent combination of high temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and thermal conductivity, making the alloy suitable for components with complex geometries operating at high temperatures, such as dies, pistons, and heat exchanger components.

Nested Pebble Bed Blanket (NesPeB)
202305512 // Energy and Utilities
A new fusion vessel blanket has unprecedented performance: a tritium breeding ratio greater than 1:3 with natural lithium isotopic composition, no corrosion problems, no magneto-hydrodynamics interactions, proven tritium extraction methods, no direct use of water, easy replacement of the breeder, and resistance to high temperatures.

Microballast Electrode Materials
202305514 // Energy and Utilities
Current battery materials such as silicon suffer from poor ion and electron transport due to non-optimal wiring. This invention facilitates particle interconnectedness to facilitate ion motion and electron transport overcoming poor assembly. Using a microscale ballast effect resulting in increased electrical connectivity between anode particles and conductive carbon constituents results in a composite electrode with optimal connectivity to facilitate ion transport and reduce corrosion.


To learn more about these technologies, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call
865-574-1051.