Sandia National Laboratories

This plastic will self-destruct in 3, 2, 1 💥 Sandia scientists are tackling pollution by developing plastics that recycle themselves. “We are building plastics that contain the compounds that will eventually break them down. Through our process, we can keep the plastic’s original composition intact by building a barrier between the compound and the plastic itself, until we are ready to activate it,” Sandia organic materials scientist Brad Jones said. The graphic demonstrates how building a catalyst and reagents inside plastic or rubber will help the product self-destruct on demand. Learn more about the research: https://bit.ly/4bsNgew

Sandia and the nuclear security enterprise recently completed the last production unit of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, achieving a significant milestone for the nation’s nuclear deterrence program. A non-nuclear mock system (pictured) supports assessments to ensure the safety, reliability and performance of the nation’s stockpile. “This is just the beginning of our efforts at Sandia to make sure the B61-12 is sustained and maintained appropriately. It’s a critical element to ensure we have a strong and viable deterrent,” said Scott Klenke, a Sandia manager on the project. Learn more about Sandia’s work on the B61-12: https://bit.ly/4i0Lu6N

A New Mexico student and her father received a live demonstration from Sandia scientist Andy Mounce, illuminating how lasers are used with diamonds in quantum sensing to detect magnetic fields. Nearly 600 educators and visitors attended this year’s Thunderbird AI Hackathon and QuanTime event, held at Explora Science Center and Children's Museum and supported by Sandia volunteers. In addition to hands-on activities, high school students competed to develop machine learning models in Python to analyze crime data and promote community safety — getting a sense of technology’s real-world applications.

Sandia is pleased to announce Laura J. McGill as the next Director of the Labs 👏 She has served as Sandia’s Deputy Laboratories Director for the past four years and will begin her new role on May 1. “I am honored to lead Sandia National Laboratories and build upon its rich legacy of scientific excellence and national service,” McGill said. “Together with this tremendously talented workforce, we will further advance our capabilities and performance, enhancing the nation’s response to evolving security challenges.” As Director, McGill will oversee Sandia’s diverse portfolio of national security programs, ensuring the continued delivery of innovative solutions to complex challenges. Learn more about Sandia’s 17th Labs Director: https://bit.ly/3FhYM0c

Sandia’s Michael Leveille will compete against other early-career scientists next week in the National Lab Research SLAM. The collaboration brings together all 17 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs to showcase innovative research that is shaping the future of energy and science. The event will be livestreamed on Wednesday, March 5, at 2:30 p.m. MT. Find more information at https://nlresearchslam.org

Recycling from the inside out ♻️ What if plastics could self-destruct when their time as useful products end? A team at Sandia is building plastics that contain compounds that can break down on demand. “We are doing something called microencapsulation,” Sandia scientist Brad Jones said. “Through our process, we can keep the plastic’s original composition intact by building a barrier between the compound and the plastic itself, until we are ready to activate it.” Read more about how Sandia is tackling plastics: https://bit.ly/3D8ceTS

As part of his inaugural U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs tour, Secretary Chris Wright visited Sandia’s headquarters in Albuquerque. Sandia was honored to host the new secretary, who met with engineers and scientists, toured facilities and discussed the critical role Sandia plays in advancing national security, nuclear deterrence, energy solutions and innovative technologies like AI.

Delivering a safe, secure and reliable stockpile 🚀 Sandia and the nuclear security enterprise have completed the last production unit of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, achieving a major milestone in the Labs’ nuclear deterrence mission. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment. For more than a decade, people have poured their time, effort and careers into making this a reality,” said Sandia engineer Rich Otten. Learn more about Sandia’s work on the B61-12: https://bit.ly/3D6Keju

Sandia and Kansas City National Security Campus celebrated the launch of the Rapid Prototyping Maker Space. The new facility, at Sandia’s New Mexico site, aims to accelerate innovation and enhance collaboration, equipping teams with essential tools to streamline the prototyping process from concept to solution. “By providing a dynamic environment where engineers and researchers can rapidly develop and test new technologies, we are not only enhancing our national security capabilities but also inspiring the next generation of problem solvers,” said Deborah Frincke, associate Labs director. Read more about the maker space: https://bit.ly/4gU8mUs

Tinkerer by nature 🧰 Sandia systems engineer Robert Petterborg saw an opportunity for innovation, and in his spare time designed a new cable connector that eliminates misalignments and improves electrical connections for testing the W80-4 and deterrent systems. “This was a multifaceted and multidisciplinary project that I voluntarily took on to address a problem,” Robert said. “If everyone did things the way we’ve always done them, we wouldn’t have innovation. We would never have anything better than what we have now.” Read more about how Robert’s design is leading to better results: https://bit.ly/3IyX6hf #EngineersWeek