Materials Manufacturing Innovation Center

Discovery science, to scale up, to testbeds and end-use applications.

Who We Are

Argonne’s Materials Manufacturing Innovation Center (MMIC) is dedicated to accelerating the development and scale-up of advanced, functional materials and manufacturing technologies. MMIC offers capabilities unavailable anywhere else — bridging laboratory discovery and commercial production to empower U.S. industry and secure critical supply chains.

What We Do

MMIC partners with manufacturers, startups and research organizations to advance solutions in chemical manufacturing and processing, advanced energy storage, critical minerals separation, data centers and AI-driven manufacturing.

What sets MMIC apart is a tightly integrated pipeline, compressing timelines that traditionally span years into months.

Focus Areas

Chemical Scale-Up and Processing: Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF) specializes in scaling novel chemical processes and reactors for industrial applications. Our expertise in process modeling, pilot-scale production and quality assurance helps partners bring new materials to market efficiently.
U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness: MMIC provides access to world-class facilities and expertise, helping U.S. industry lead in advanced manufacturing. Our partnerships drive innovation, support workforce development and foster economic growth.
Energy Storage: Argonne develops scalable materials and processes for a resilient, modern electric grid and remote power operations. Our research supports the deployment of advanced energy storage systems that enhance reliability and efficiency.

At the MERF, we scale promising electrode materials from gram-scale synthesis to kilogram-scale production. Our Advanced Photon Source enables real-time observation of material behavior during cycling — accelerating the path to grid-ready energy storage.
Critical Materials: We advance domestic critical material recovery from primary, secondary and unconventional sources. Argonne’s work helps build a secure supply chain for essential energy technologies from lithium-ion battery recycling to rare earth element recovery from unconventional sources.
Supply Chain Resilience: We strengthen domestic manufacturing by developing processes that reduce reliance on foreign sources and support the growth of U.S. industry. Our collaborations span regional and national partners, building a robust supply chain for critical materials.
Geothermal Energy: Argonne brings high-temperature material development and characterization expertise including boriding and novel cement formulations. LCA and TEA capabilities support full value chain, supporting technology development and decision making.
AI and Exascale Computing: Researchers leverage the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility’s exascale supercomputer, known as Aurora, and artificial intelligence-driven workflows to accelerate materials discovery, build predictive digital twins of manufacturing processes, and optimize production parameters. This reduces the cost and time of traditional trial-and-error experimentation.
Data Centers: Argonne develops cooling materials, microelectronics fabrication and digital twin-enabled optimization for next-generation computing infrastructure. Our research supports the growth of high-performance data centers and advanced electronics.

Let’s Get to Work

Whether you’re looking to discover new materials, scale up new chemicals, solve a manufacturing challenge or explore a new technological pathway, MMIC is ready to work with you.