ORNL team completes the Energy-I Corps’ 20th cohort
The focus was a high-filler, low-water concrete that increases the use of fillers, such as fine particles or by-products, while greatly reducing both water and cement.
National lab researchers from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, last week for the final session of Energy-I Corps’ 20th cohort. A key initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization, the immersive two-month entrepreneurial training program aims to accelerate the commercialization of innovative energy technologies currently in the lab.
Launched in mid-March, the 17 research teams from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and seven other labs dove straight into the curriculum with a series of workshops designed to challenge their research assumptions. Each team hit the ground running by attending back-to-back workshops from an instructor team of entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and National Science Foundation I-Corps/Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer commercialization program experts.
Funded by DOE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, the ORNL team was focused on a high-filler, low-water (HFLW) concrete that is an innovative mix that increases the use of fillers, such as fine particles or by-products, while greatly reducing both water and cement. This design creates a denser, more durable concrete with fewer pores, enhancing strength and reducing cracking. By substituting a large portion of cement with these fillers, CO₂ emissions decrease by at least 40 percent. As a result, it offers a cost-effective option for construction, combining increased performance with a lower environmental impact.
The leads were:
- Principal Investigator: Zhenglain Shen;
- Entrepreneurial Lead: Adam Brooks; and
- Industry Mentor: Charles Nmai.
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