Partners with the Materials Science Engineering Department
The Materials Science and Engineering Department prides itself on the strong partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratories, as well as other centers at the forefront of technology. Below are links to some of these partner sites.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Links
Oak Ridge National Laboratories
ORNL is a multiprogram science and technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by UT-Battelle, LLC. Scientists and engineers at ORNL conduct basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation's leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; restore and protect the environment; and contribute to national security.
When the Spallation Neutron Source is operating at full power, it will offer unprecedented performance for neutron-scattering research, with more than an order of magnitude higher flux than any existing facility. To realize the potential this offers for research in many fields, a world-class suite of instruments is being developed that makes optimal use of the SNS beams and that is suited to the needs of users across a broad range of disciplines.
The High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) is a DOE User Facility designed to help solve materials problems that limit the efficiency and reliability of automotive systems, including propulsion and chasis systems. HTML includes six user centers available to researchers in industry, universities, and federal laboratories.
The UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Advanced Materials (JIAM) builds upon a broad and growing research partnership between the University of Tennessee (UT) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Together the two institutions house some of the world's most advanced facilities in neutron scattering, nanophase materials, and high-performance computing.
The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a collaborative nanoscience user research facility for the synthesis, characterization, theory/ modeling/ simulation, and design of nanoscale materials. The central organizing concept of CNMS is to provide unique opportunities to understand nanoscale materials, assemblies, and phenomena, by creating a set of scientific synergies that will accelerate the process of discovery.
The Materials Processing Group performs research and development on the processing of metal and ceramic materials for both structural and functional applications. Current research areas include materials processing with high-intensity infrared heating, laser processing, coatings, microwave processing, and gel-casting. The work of the MPG has played important roles in applications from steel mills, foundries, and electric power transmission lines to light-weight automobiles and spacecraft power systems.
The Materials Science and Technology Division conducts fundamental and applied materials research for basic energy sciences programs and a variety of energy technologies, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, conservation, fossil energy, fusion energy, nuclear power, and space exploration.
The Advanced Neutron Scattering Network for Education and Research (ANSWER) group is actively involved in the high-tech materials research, including the mechanical behavior and phase transformation of advanced engineering materials, fundamental studies on fatigue and fracture mechanics, and nanostructured alloys and composites.
The Molecular-scale Engineering and Nanoscale Technologies (MENT) group is designed to characterize, analyze, model, simulate and manipulate molecular-scale process that give rise to complex behavior or function. In particular, we focus on developing a bottoms-up understanding of the structure of genetic and biochemical circuits and networks that lead to cellular function by examining the information processing systems of cells, genetic circuits, and networks.
The Diffraction and Thermophysical Properties Group (D&TPG) aims to be a national leader in materials characterization using diffraction and thermophysical property measurement methods. The diffraction portion of the Group utilizes laboratory x-ray, synchrotron x-ray, and neutron diffraction facilties to solve problems from phase stability to residual stress and texture. The thermography and thermophysical properties of the Group has exceptional capabilities to characterize thermal properties for numerous industrial and research needs.
Other Partner Sites
The Scintillation Materials Research Center (SMRC) is a unique multidisciplinary research facility formed by a collaboration of the University of Tennessee and CTI Molecular Imaging. Located in the College of Engineering, our mission is to discover and develop new scintillation materials which will provide the foundation for the next generation of gamma-ray, x-ray, and neutron detectors for future medical imaging systems, homeland security inspection and monitoring systems, neutron and high energy particle physics experiments, and more.
Center for Materials Processing
Designated by the state of Tennessee as a Center of Excellence, the CMP’s research efforts focus on the control of material properties through their composition and molecular structure as well as how these factors relate to materials processing. Participating researchers come from all engineering disciplines.
UT Nonwovens Research Laboratory
The UTNRL features several advanced melt blown pilot lines and many other processing and test facilities designed to make a fully equiped nonwovens research lab. At UTNRL, university professors, students, and engineers come together to create a facility to support nonwovens studies, research, and applications. Our research meltblowing lines are available to private industry as well as government through research grants.