AARO_Aluminum_Materials_Analysis_Supplement_Jan2026.pdf

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All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office 
Supplement to Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Analysis of an Aluminum Specimen
January 2026 
Overview 
In 2024, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) contracted Oak Ridge National 
Laboratory (ORNL) to evaluate a metallic specimen. This specimen, reportedly recovered from a 
private property near Flint Ridge State Park, Ohio, in the mid-1990s, allegedly possessed 
anomalous compositional and structural characteristics. The property owner reported observing a 
large unidentified airborne object before discovering the material. 
ORNL assessed th…

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consistency with contemporary alloys and incompatibility with high-performance applications, 
AARO assesses that the specimen is most likely an ordinary, conventionally manufactured 
aluminum alloy. 
1 Jolly, M., & Katgerman, L. (2022). Modeling defects in aluminum cast products. Progress in Materials Science. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2021.100824  
2 Davis, J.R. (2001). Alloying: Understanding the Basics (1st ed., p. 378). ASM Intl. Available online: Aluminum 
and Aluminum Alloys 
3  Ibid. (pp. 392-395) 
4 Ganesh, M.R.S., Reghunath, N., J.Levin, M. et al. Strontium in Al–Si–Mg All…