OUR RESEARCH

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing

Who We Are

Our engineers, materials scientists and additive manufacturing experts develop nanotechnology, novel feedstocks and biomimetic, quantum and energetic materials. Meet a few of the people who work in advanced materials and manufacturing:

 

 
Salmaan (Sal) Baxamusa
Materials Science Division
Eric Duoss
Center for Engineered Materials and Manufacturing
Jeremy Feaster
He/Him
Materials Science Division
Brian Giera
Materials Engineering Division
Caitlyn Krikorian
Functional Architected Materials Engineering
Mariana Desireé Reale Batista
Materials Science Division

Our Latest News

Our Current Projects

Our multidisciplinary teams collaborate with academic colleagues and industry partners to develop breakthroughs vital to national security and, often, that benefit commercial applications.

 

Manufactured part

 

High-Performance Alloys

As our missions take us into new environments, we develop high-performance alloys used to engineer components that function in extreme conditions. We create new feedstock materials and additive manufacturing techniques that enable our teams to produce complex, thermally stable microstructures that are lightweight, corrosion-resistant and radiation tolerant. We develop customized alloys that incorporate low-value rare earth elements enabling us to produce components less susceptible to supply chain disruptions associated with critical materials.

 

Enlarged view of 3D printed electrochemical reactors

 

Versatile Electrochemical Reactors

We leverage the power of 3D printing to fundamentally rethink how chemical reactors are designed, making them smaller and more versatile. Our innovative approach transforms waste carbon dioxide into useful chemicals. Researchers can produce reactor components with the 3D microarchitecture needed to control the catalyst environment, radically improving efficiency. We also explore a “cellular fluidics” technique to provide greater control over how reactions take place — transporting liquids and gases through an open cell microarchitecture that uses light-driven 3D printing.

 

Scientists holding container with sorbents

 

Microcapsules Safely Capture Carbon

We explore how microcapsules containing carbon-trapping sorbents can rapidly absorb chemicals and make them available for reuse in a range of applications, such as capturing carbon at coal-burning power plants, capturing biogas produced at dairy operations, or purifying indoor air. The tiny silicone capsules safely absorb carbon dioxide up to ten times faster than unencapsulated liquid solvents. Carbon trapped inside the capsules can be removed using thermally driven diffusion, enabling the carbon to be reused or compressed and stored underground.

 

Our Facilities, Centers and Institutes

The Laboratory is home to several state-of-the-art facilities and centers to help researchers tackle the hardest and most complex challenges related to advanced materials and manufacturing.

 

Join Our Team

We offer opportunities in a variety of fields, not just science and technology. We are home to a diverse staff of professionals that includes administrators, researchers, creatives, supply chain staff, health services workers and more. Visit our careers page to learn more about the different career paths we offer and find the one that speaks to you. Make your mark on the world!