Graduate Intern

Aggregates producers contribute to DOE cementitious material projects. The Department of Energy Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation has awarded $117 million to 56 projects designed to strengthen the competitiveness of key American industries through energy and cost-saving innovations. One of nine topic areas in the program is Advanced Building and Infrastructure Materials: Cement, Concrete, Asphalt Pavement and Glass. It includes four projects, funded at $2.9 million to $3 million each, with diverse partner groups of cementitious material or concrete production stakeholders and academia, including Ozinga and Irving Materials: * Low-Cost Advanced Cement Material from Abundant Raw Materials, based in McMinnville, Ore. Led by Oregon-based concrete admixture developer Solid Carbon Inc., a research team will test belite-rich calcium sulfoaluminate and super sulfated slag cements with alternative supplementary materials from underwater waste streams, specifically those found in high ash-fraction forest waste biochar from tree thinning and wastewater incinerator ash. Project partners: Amrize Ltd. and Wilsonville Concrete Products, plus National Laboratory of the Rockies, Oregon State University and University of Kentucky. * Development of Concretes Containing High-Volume Calcined and Mechanochemically Activated Clays and Carbonated Recycled Concrete Aggregates, based in Coral Gables, Fla. A team led by the University of Miami will target next-generation concrete mixtures in which low-to mid-kaolinitic content clays, portland limestone cement, and engineered recycled concrete aggregate blends enable a lowering 60 to 75% clinker content than typically found in concrete mix designs. The technology enhances kaolinic clay reactivity through calcination or mechanochemical activation (induction of chemical reactions via mechanical energy), to enable high clinker replacement. Project partners: Ozinga Bros. Inc. and Illinois Institute of Technology. * Limestone/Activated Clay/Calcium Sulfate Blends for Concrete, based in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Oak Ridge National Laboratory will lead a team eyeing a next generation binder milled from readily available domestic materials. The project will develop a physically and compositionally optimized limestone, activated clay, and calcium sulfate blend to partially replace portland cement without significant impact on finished concrete performance or cost. Investigators will seek to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of clay activation by mechanochemical processes like grinding or milling that do not require heat for activation. Project partners: Carbon Upcycling, Irving Materials Inc., Imerys, St Marys Cement and Tindall Corp., plus Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Tennessee Concrete Association, Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Texas, Austin. * Manufacturing of Cement and Concrete Enabled by Electrochemical Technologies, based in Irvine, Calif. Researchers from University of California, Irvine, along with partners De Nora Tech LLC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will test an electrochemical process to produce cement without the use of traditional kiln combustion methods. In lieu of a kiln, the process uses an electrolyzer - operating a significantly lower temperatures - to form calcium hydroxide. The Advanced Building and Infrastructure Materials area also supports one glass recycling and four asphalt binder or pavement material projects. Another topic area, Electrification of Industrial Heat, will span testing of equipment suiting raw material treatment in cement production. "DOE is committed to funding innovation that positions American industry at the forefront of the global marketplace," said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. "These projects will deliver affordable, market-ready solutions that strengthen America's energy security and support job creation and economic growth nationwide." Advances in industrial technologies can deliver lasting benefits by lowering production costs, improving energy productivity, and bringing industrial innovation back to the United States, she added.

DOE funds building, infrastructure materials projects. The National Laboratory of the Rockies will develop next-generation asphalt solutions by integrating waste materials into asphalt mixtures. Published September 02, 2026 The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) has awarded $117 million to 56 projects, which it says will strengthen the competitiveness of key American industries through energy and cost-saving innovations. DOE says these investments will "help American manufacturers produce essential commodities more efficiently and cost-effectively while strengthening the domestic supply chains that underpin the nation's economic security." One of the selected projects, led by Solid Carbon Inc. and partners, will develop and scale next-generation concrete by incorporating belite-rich calcium sulfoaluminate and super sulfated slag cements with materials from underwater waste streams, specifically those derived from tree thinning and wastewater incinerator ash. DOE says this process will improve the security of American cement production by improving the industry's ability to use readily available domestic sources, increasing supply chain reliability and market competitiveness. National Laboratory of the Rockies, Oregon State University, University of Kentucky, Wilsonville Concrete and Amrize are listed as partners on the project, which received $3 million from DOE. The University of Wisconsin-Madison was awarded $800,000 to extend pavement longevity by at least 10 percent while conserving materials and improving mechanical performance. The University of Miami received $2.9 million in federal funding, with the project aiming to produce next-generation concrete mixtures to replace 60-75 percent of clinker, a primary binder in concrete, by advancing the use of low- to mid-kaolinitic content clays, Portland limestone cement and engineered recycled concrete aggregate. DOE says this approach promotes the use of abundant, underutilized materials, improves infrastructure and reduces operational costs. The National Laboratory of the Rockies was awarded $993,320 to develop next-generation asphalt solutions by integrating waste materials into asphalt mixtures. DOE says the technology incorporates hard-to-recycle postconsumer polyethylene film waste from items like grocery bags and shrink wrap and recycled asphalt pavement with warm-mix additives and bio-based rejuvenators. This mix is expected to reduce production temperatures by at least 40 degrees, DOE says, reducing operational costs, strengthening supply chains and creating a market for underutilized domestic resources. Sponsored Content Optimal productivity, heavy construction, safety features and operator comfort come together in the SENNEBOGEN 360 G-series telescopic wheel loader, designed for work across the waste and recycling industry. Telescopic wheel loaders manufactured by SENNEBOGEN have a growing presence at transfer stations, material recovery facilities (MRFs), construction and demolition (C&D) recycling plants and metal recycling facilities across North America. Carbon Rivers Inc. will lead a project focused on recycling end-of-life glass, which was awarded $868,622. According to DOE, the company's process prepares fiberglass for remelting or direct reuse at a lower processing temperature than traditional methods, saving operational costs. "DOE is committed to funding innovation that positions American industry at the forefront of the global marketplace," says Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. "These projects will deliver affordable, market-ready solutions that strengthen America's energy security and support job creation and economic growth nationwide." Get curated news on YOUR industry. Enter your email to receive its newsletters.

NLR's sand-based thermal storage system wins R&D 100 Award. 07 Aug 2026 A sand-based long-duration energy storage system developed by the US Department of Energy's National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) has received a 2026 R&D 100 Award. The Economic Long-Duration Energy Storage by Using Low-Cost Particle-Based Thermal Energy Storage system, known as Enduring, stores energy generated during off-peak periods for use when demand is higher. The patented system uses low-cost, abundant sand as its storage medium. NLR said its heat exchanger was designed to maintain performance while reducing the system's physical footprint and material costs. According to the laboratory, Enduring could provide large-scale storage at a capital cost of less than $10 per kWh of thermal energy capacity. It said the technology could safely store the equivalent of hundreds of megawatts of electricity for periods of up to 100 hours. Enduring also received silver recognition in the awards' Market Disruptor category. Adam Bratis, NLR deputy laboratory director for science and technology and chief research officer, said: "This recognition is a testament to the exceptional talent and ingenuity of its researchers. Their breakthroughs are providing the innovative, scalable solutions its nation needs for the energy systems and infrastructure of tomorrow. "These R&D 100 Awards support what we have always believed: NLR is not just envisioning the future of American energy - our people are actively building it." The annual R&D 100 Awards, presented by R&D World magazine, recognise 100 technologies selected by an independent judging panel. NLR has received 80 of the awards since 1982. Its three other 2026 award winners were the Altrios open-source digital twin for freight rail systems; the Pele Suite of Exascale Reacting Flow Codes; and perforated bipolar membranes for converting carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into organic compounds. Photo: Researchers Shin Young Jeong and Zhiwen Ma examine the prototype device that uses superheated sand for long-duration energy storage. Credit: Joe DelNero, NREL