UT-Battelle, LLC

Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.

Technologies and materials for capturing carbon dioxide from gas streams and subsequently converting it into valuable chemical products or materials, rather than simply storing it.

Technologies for efficiently delivering power to electric vehicles, encompassing fast charging, wireless charging, and smart grid integration, alongside vehicle-side control and management of the charging process.

Systems and methods for transferring electrical energy without physical contact, often utilizing inductive or resonant coupling, including antenna design, resonance tracking, and control mechanisms for efficient power delivery.

Methods and compositions for applying metallic or alloy layers to a substrate, or modifying the surface of an alloy, to impart specific functional properties such as corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical insulation, or improved adhesion, without altering the bulk properties significantly.

Development and application of polymer compositions designed for reprocessability, recyclability, or incorporating sustainable additives, often featuring reversible bonds or bio-based components.

Integration of power converters with energy storage devices (batteries, supercapacitors) or grid interfaces, often involving AC/DC conversion, power flow management, and fault handling for hybrid power systems or specific applications like EVs or PV.

Slurry compositions and coating processes for battery electrodes, including binder/active-material slurries, surface coating layers, and electrode-to-foil adhesion for cathode and anode.

Process and equipment for producing solid-state battery cells, including solid electrolyte synthesis (sulfide/oxide/polymer), thin-film deposition, lamination, sintering, dry-electrode fabrication, and stacking under controlled atmosphere.

Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.

Processes and apparatus for disassembling spent batteries and recovering valuable materials (e.g., metals, electrolytes, plastics) through mechanical, chemical, or electrochemical methods for reuse or sustainable disposal.

Integration of additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing (e.g., machining, cutting) or other traditional processes within a single system or workflow to create parts with improved features, surface finish, or material properties, or to enable new manufacturing paradigms.

Specific techniques and materials developed to remove persistent or difficult-to-treat pollutants from water, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micropollutants, or specific industrial chemicals.

Development of materials with tailored porosity, surface chemistry, or structure, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, or superficially porous particles, for selective adsorption, ion exchange, or chromatographic separations.

Composite materials where a metallic matrix is reinforced with a second phase (e.g., ceramic particles, carbon nanotubes, diamond grains) to significantly enhance properties like hardness, wear resistance, stiffness, or strength, often used in cutting tools, wear parts, or structural applications.

Aluminum-based alloys developed for applications requiring low density combined with high strength, ductility, and formability, often involving specific alloying elements (e.g., Li, Mg, Si, Mn) and controlled aging or thermomechanical treatments.

Design and control of power supply architectures that combine multiple power sources (e.g., AC grid, DC battery, generators) or modular battery units, often featuring switching, conversion, and redundancy for enhanced reliability and flexibility.

Development and processing of metal powders with specific magnetic properties, including soft magnetic alloys, permanent magnet materials, and insulated powders for electronic components, often involving precise control of particle size, morphology, and composition.

Methods for producing organic chemicals from biomass or through fermentation processes, often focusing on carbohydrates or fatty acid derivatives for food, health, or industrial applications.

Methods and components for optimizing the performance, efficiency, and control of electric motors, inverters, and power converters within electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle drivetrains.

Active anode materials and manufacturing techniques for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, including silicon-carbon composites, graphite, lithium-metal anodes, and electrode coating processes that improve capacity, cycle life, and rate capability.

Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.

Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.

Technologies and systems for removing unwanted components or separating desired gases from a mixed gas stream, including adsorption, absorption, and membrane-based methods.

Steel alloys designed to exhibit superior mechanical strength, toughness, and/or resistance to degradation at elevated temperatures, often achieved through precise control of alloying elements, microstructure (e.g., ferrite, martensite, bainite, retained austenite), and thermomechanical processing.

Methods and tooling for forming structural components from fibrous materials impregnated with resin, involving processes like prepreg handling, resin infusion, and co-bonding during curing.

Design and synthesis of acyclic or carbocyclic organic compounds that selectively modulate specific biological targets or pathways for the treatment of diseases.

Methods and apparatus for the efficient and selective production of organic compounds, including amines, acids, and esters, often involving catalytic or continuous processes and purification steps.

Developing and applying machine learning algorithms that leverage quantum computing principles, such as quantum circuits or autoencoders, for tasks like simulation or data processing.

Development and synthesis of catalysts with unique compositions or structures, such as medium entropy alloys, metal foam-supported catalysts, layered catalytic articles, or high-entropy oxides, to enhance activity, selectivity, or stability in chemical reactions.

Systems designed to manage the temperature of multiple components in electric or hybrid vehicles, such as batteries, electric motors, power electronics, and the passenger cabin, often using shared or interconnected cooling/heating circuits.

Production of materials where properties vary continuously or discontinuously through the volume, often achieved by combining different powders or applying specialized coatings like thermal sprays to enhance surface hardness, wear resistance, or thermal properties.

Techniques for combining and analyzing information from multiple distinct data modalities (e.g., text, image, video, audio, sensor data) to derive richer insights or improve system performance and decision-making.

Systems and methods specifically engineered for removing pollutants and impurities from water sources, ranging from groundwater decontamination to point-of-use filtration, often employing adsorption, membrane, or distillation techniques.

Software, algorithms, and associated hardware for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing battery performance, safety, and lifespan, including charge/discharge cycles, thermal regulation, and system integration.

Membrane-based separation for water purification, contaminant removal, desalination, and wastewater treatment, including reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and forward osmosis modules.

Processes involving the application of heat and pressure to shape thermoplastic or elastomeric materials, often using molds or presses, to achieve specific forms or material properties.

Membrane and depth filtration for industrial separation, gas purification, and bioprocess clarification including cross-flow, dead-end, tangential flow filtration, and oil/water separation.

Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.

Methods and equipment for continuously shaping plastic materials by forcing them through a die, often involving screw extruders, heating elements, and downstream calibration.