Delay and Pay: Tipping Point Costs Quadruple After Waiting
The cost of reversing the effects of climate change—restoring melted polar sea ice, for example—quickly climbs nearly fourfold soon after a tipping point is crossed, according to new work lead by researchers at PNNL that published November 26 in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. Much work has been done to explore the environmental costs tied to climate change. But this new study marks the first time researchers have quantified the costs of controlling tipping points before and after they unfold. Read more about climate tipping points on PNNL's website
Researchers Develop High-Tech Methods to Stem the Flow of Fentanyl
Scientists at PNNL are developing ways to detect and identify not only previously unseen forms of fentanyl but also newer and more dangerous synthetic opioids known as nitazenes.
Most current detection methods rely on libraries of known compounds that have already been seen and reported. When responders encounter a substance suspected of being fentanyl, either the material is tested chemically or compared to known fentanyls in a database. If there’s a match, authorities know they’ve got a fentanyl compound. Read more about fentanyl detection on PNNL's website
More Sustainable Tires in Sight as PNNL and Bridgestone Team Up
PNNL researchers are teaming up with Bridgestone, one of the world’s largest tire makers, to scale up a chemical process that converts ethanol into butadiene—synthetic rubber’s most important ingredient. At the center of the collaboration sits a catalyst developed by PNNL researchers that cuts out the need for heat and reduces the carbon dioxide emissions of current butadiene production. Bridgestone will supply PNNL with ethanol from recycled tires to start. Read more about sustainable tires on PNNL’s website
How ‘Clean’ Does a Quantum Computing Test Facility Need to Be?
A research team led by PNNL physicists outlines which sources of interfering ionizing radiation are most problematic for superconducting quantum computers—and how to address them. The findings set the stage for quantitative study of errors caused by radiation effects in shielded underground facilities. Read more about quantum computing on PNNL’s website
Even with Months-Long “Energy Droughts,” the Power Grid Remains Resilient
A team from PNNL shows that compound energy droughts—or periods of low energy generation from solar, wind and hydropower simultaneously—can last up to five months and occur most often in the fall. The good news is, however, that in a model of the Western Interconnection energy production never fell so much that demand could not be met.The new work offers a foundation for utilities to start thinking about plans to add energy storage. Read more about energy droughts on PNNL’s website.
Metal Scrap Upcycled into High-Value Alloys with Solid Phase Manufacturing
Metal scrap can be directly transformed and upgraded into high-performance, high-value alloys without the need for conventional melting processes, according to a new study from PNNL researchers. The upcycled aluminum performs on par with identical materials produced from primary aluminum, indicating that this approach can provide a low-cost pathway to bringing more high-quality recycled metal products to the marketplace. Read more about scrap aluminum on PNNL’s website.
Staff Highlights & More
Clarivate’s 2024 list of the world's most Highly Cited Researchers includes 19 affiliated with PNNL. Listed researchers have published multiple papers often cited by their peers. The list is drawn from papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations for their field and publication year in the Web of Science citation index over the past decade. Read more about the Highly Cited List on PNNL's website
Watson
Andre Watson, PNNL’s director of Aviation Maintenance, has been named to the 2024 class of the Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 by the National Business Aviation Association. Watson oversees the maintenance and management of the Department of Energy’s distinctive aviation assets at the AAF hangar, including a highly modified Bombardier Challenger 850 and a Group 3 Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle. The list celebrates emerging leaders who are spearheading innovation within the industry. Read more about Watson’s recognition on PNNL’s website
Decillis (left) and Richards
Sergei Kalinin, a joint appointee with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and PNNL, and Ji-Guang (Jason) Zhang, a Lab Fellow at PNNL, have been named 2024 National Academy of Inventors Fellows. Kalinin and Zhang join researchers from 135 research universities, as well as governmental and nonprofit research institutions worldwide, who were honored this year. The Fellows will be inducted at the 14th NAI Annual Conference, held June 23–26, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more about the induction on PNNL’s website.
