Energetic Materials Center home
Energetic materials science
on a mission
For more than three decades, the Energetic Materials Center (EMC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been the home base for many of our nation’s experts in non-nuclear, high-explosive materials that store and release large amounts of chemical energy.
EMC researchers support our national security mission by providing technical insight and direction regarding energetic materials, including high explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.
Our multidisciplinary research teams—including postdocs and student interns—analyze the behavior of energetic materials, develop and test new material formulations, and conduct rapid assessments of chemicals that could be used in terrorist attacks. They tap into a wealth of world-class experimental resources, coupled with high-fidelity predictive modeling and simulation capabilities, to develop innovative solutions to evolving national security challenges.
