Ceramics: a game changer for plutonium disposal

Research at Sheffield

The continued reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel has resulted in some nations, including the UK, accumulating vast inventories of separated plutonium and plutonium-contaminated residues, for which there is a need to develop materials that can ‘lock up’ plutonium within their structure. Ceramic materials offer an attractive suite of criteria for this purpose, including high hardness, radiation stability and corrosion resistance. The composition of these ceramics can be engineered to yield different properties that can affect their disposability and this is the subject of ongoing research at the University of Sheffield. In particular, researchers are interested in understanding how plutonium could substitute within specific atomic sites within ceramic structures, using a variety of simulant elements that can mimic its behaviour. Moreover, identifying feasible thermal treatments and ceramic processing that could be deployed at an industrial scale is a key aspect of this research. 

UK Government policy now favours immobilisation as the preferred strategy for managing its inventory of separated plutonium, which requires a robust scientific underpinning. A key aspect of our research is understanding the engineering properties and disposability of potential host phases that could be used to effectively immobilise plutonium. Delivering the necessary science to fully underpin this approach will take a long time and will require new skills and expertise, which we are well placed to support through new initiatives such as the NDA Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub. We are delighted to support this research alongside the University of Manchester.”

Dr Lewis Blackburn

Lecturer in Nuclear Materials