ORNL's $65 million facility could mean big advancments
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are studying some of the smallest of materials that could have a really big impact on all our lives.Advertisement
It's happening in the newly completed Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.
"It feels good to be apart of this team," says Linda Horton, CNMS Director.
The 65 million dollar facility looks pretty high tech from the outside.
On the inside, it's some space age stuff.
"We can get whole new properties and do things that you wouldn't have dreamt of in the past," says Horton.
The state of the art building has what's called a "clean room."
That means it is temperature, humidity and particle controlled.
Researchers are studying materials that are 100,000 times smaller than a human hair.
"We wrote the proposal to get the funding for this facility in 2001. We began construction in 2003. Now, we have users in 2006. It's been terrific for all the staffers to see their dreams realized in such a fast time span," says Horton.
Horton adds, "We have had this year over 100 users. Now, next year we should be able to double that number because we have so many more facilities and equipment available for their science."
Things like looking at the different properties of plastics could revolutionize the way we live eventually creating lighter cars and more possibilities for solar energy.
Research that starts at ORNL but could go world wide.
"The possibilities are endless and it's very exciting," says Horton.
The project was built under budget and a month ahead of schedule.
It is the first of five that the Department of Energy is building.
Tim Dale , Photographer
Robin Murdoch , Reporter
Last updated: 9/29/2006 9:39:29 AM
Source: wbir.com |
