Ames Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Ames, Iowa. Compared to most other DOE laboratories, it is small, employing about 500 people. It is located on the campus of Iowa State University.

History

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Ames Laboratory was started on the campus of Iowa State University as part of the Manhattan Project. Its purpose was to produce high purity uranium from uranium ores. Iowa State University chemist Frank Spedding developed new methods for both melting and casting uranium metal, making it possible to cast large ingots of the metal and reduce production costs by as much as twenty-fold. About one third (2 tons) of the uranium used in the first self sustaining nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago was provided by this project. The Ames Project produced more than 2 million pounds (1,000 tons) of uranium for the Manhattan Project until industry took over the process in 1945.

Since that time, Ames Laboratory has broadened the scope of its research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

External links

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• Ameslab Main Page

Manhattan Project | United States Department of Energy National Laboratories | Story County, Iowa