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Materials Science of High-Level Nuclear Waste Immobilization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

William J. Weber ,
Alexandra Navrotsky ,
Sergey Stefanovsky ,
Eric R. Vance  and
Etienne Vernaz
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Abstract

With the increasing demand for the development of nuclear power comes the responsibility to address the issue of waste, including the technical challenges of immobilizing high-level nuclear wastes in stable solid forms for interim storage or disposition in geologic repositories. The immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes has been an active area of research and development for over 50 years. Borosilicate glasses and complex ceramic composites have been developed to meet many technical challenges and current needs, although regulatory issues, which vary widely from country to country, have yet to be resolved. Cooperative international programs to develop advanced proliferation-resistant nuclear technologies to close the nuclear fuel cycle and increase the efficiency of nuclear energy production might create new separation waste streams that could demand new concepts and materials for nuclear waste immobilization. This article reviews the current state-of-the-art understanding regarding the materials science of glasses and ceramics for the immobilization of highlevel nuclear waste and excess nuclear materials and discusses approaches to address new waste streams.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 34 , Issue 1: Materials Challenges for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems , January 2009 , pp. 46 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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