By accelerating the development of new materials, we can drive discoveries that not only help power clean energy, but also are used in common consumer products. This research tool will help the United States compete with other developers of new materials, and could potentially create new domestic industries.

—Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

With the Materials Project, researchers can use supercomputers to characterize properties of inorganic compounds, including their stability, voltage, capacity, and oxidation state, which had previously not been possible. The results are then organized into a database that gives all researchers at DOE’s national labs free access. This database already contains the properties of more than 15,000 inorganic compounds, and hundreds of more compounds are added every day.

Already, scientists are using the tool to work with several companies interested in making stronger, corrosion-resistant lightweight aluminum alloys, which could make it possible to produce lighter weight vehicles and airplanes. Scientists have also already successfully applied this tool for prediction and discovery of materials used for clean energy technologies, including lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen storage, thermoelectrics, electrodes for fuel cells, and photovoltaics.