Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Radiochemical Processing Laboratory
PNNL
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a multi-program Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory, and nuclear research is one of the core components of its mission. The centerpiece of PNNL's nuclear research is the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL), a Category 2 nuclear facility with state-of-the-art instrumentation, scientific expertise, and specialized capabilities that enable research with significant quantities of fissionable materials and other radionuclides—from tritium to plutonium. High impact radiological research has been conducted in the RPL since the 1950's, when nuclear weapons and energy production at Hanford were at the forefront of national defense. Since then, significant investments have been made in the RPL to maintain it as a premier nuclear science research facility supporting multiple programs. Most recently, PNNL is developing a world-class analytical electron microscopy facility dedicated to the characterization of radiological materials. PNNL also stewards several other one-of-a-kind radiological facilities critical to DOE's mission such as the Radiological Exposure & Metrology (REM) Laboratory, and the Physical Sciences Facility (PSF).
PNNL is at the forefront of radiological research, leading multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional programs in nuclear forensics and non-proliferation, sustaining nuclear power, developing the next generation of nuclear power, cleaning up the cold war legacy wastes, medical isotopes, homeland security, isotope production, radiation effects testing and material science. World-class facilities combined with scientific leadership create an excellent research environment where diverse teams are pushing the boundaries of science and engineering leading the way in innovation to solve real world challenges.