The Materials Processing Group performs research and development on the processing of metal and ceramic materials for both structural and functional applications. The group of about 20 staff members and about 15 post-docs, students, and other associates is part of the Materials Science & Technology Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The group's research programs are sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy, DARPA, NASA, and DOD as well as cooperative research with industrial companies and non-profit industrial associations. The group has a long history in the processing of refractory metal and other high-temperature structural materials including intermetallic and ceramic materials. Current research areas include materials processing with high-intensity infrared heating, laser processing, coatings, microwave processing, and gel-casting. The group also performs research on numerical simulation of materials processing. The work of the Materials Processing Group has played important roles in applications from steel mills, foundries, and electric power transmission lines to light-weight automobiles and spacecraft power systems.