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Institute of Materials Engineering

Nuclear Wasteform Materials

Synroc

Synroc (synthetic rock), locks-up radioactive waste

The immobilisation of nuclear wastes remains one of the most technically and politically challenging environmental issues. ANSTO is considered an innovator in the field.

The focus of the Nuclear Wasteform Materials group is developing innovative solutions to safely lock-up problematic nuclear wastes derived from past international nuclear programs (the term problematic relates to the fact that they are not economically or technically suitable for immobilisation via existing baseline technologies).

Formed in 2008, ANSTO's Nuclear Wasteform Materials group supports the global commercialisation and implementation of Synroc, an innovative glass/ceramic wasteform developed in association with the UK National Nuclear Laboratory and made using ANSTOs proprietary hot-isostatic pressing technology. Synroc has been shortlisted as one of four options for treating high level waste calcines at the Idaho National Laboratories. A decision on the preferred option is imminent and is being considered for use in treating other wastes. The team has also developed wasteforms to immobilise ANSTO's legacy and future intermediate level wastes that arise from the production of medical radioisotopes.

Solutions for the future

Today, the Nuclear Wasteform Materials group, which consists of a team of scientists, engineers and technicians, is working with major international nuclear organisations, laboratories and companies on projects worth many millions of dollars. Scientifically, a key challenge is for the team is to acquire a greater scientific understanding of glass-ceramic wasteforms. The team is also at the centre of expertise in actinide chemistry at ANSTO, collaborating on other projects within the Institute of Materials Engineering.

Currently, research is underway into radiation damage and durability testing of wasteforms in order to understand their long-term behaviour. Strategically the group is seeking to broaden its research to other materials important in future nuclear systems, such as materials for nuclear applications, wasteforms for wastes from advanced nuclear fuel cycles, targets and inert matrix fuels for destroying long-lived actinides. The team also provides engineering expertise in the design of equipment and components for use in nuclear applications and the OPAL reactor.

The team also continues to contribute to the scientific literature with publications in the areas of wasteform science and actinide chemistry. In 2009, Dr Lou Vance was awarded the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship to Cambridge Universitys School of Earth Sciences where he worked on the radiation damage of materials.

Partnerships and collaborations

The team has several collaborations, including:

  • UK - NNL, Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - using ANSTO technology to safely and economically treat and lock-up UK wastes, such as plutonium residues, MOX fuel wastes, Magnox sludges, etc.
  • USA ANSTO Inc., US Department of Energy, INL demonstrating - using ANSTO technology to immobilise challenging waste streams such as high level waste calcines, technetium-99, radioactive iodine, orphan fuels, fuel pond sludges, etc.
  • USA several US companies - Concept and detailed engineering designs for ANSTO Synroc wasteform plants.
  • ANSTO - Waste Management - the design of wasteforms and processes to treat ANSTO's intermediate level waste from radioisotope production.
  • ANSTO provision of radioactive chemical anlaysis support.
  • University of Cambridge (Dr E.R. Vance, Leverhulme Fellowship), Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) radiation damage in wasteform materials.
  • University of Cambridge UK AWE apatite materials.  

Capabilities

  • Crystal chemical design of wasteforms tailored for complex nuclear waste streams.
  • Engineering plant design for nuclear materials processing.
  • Sample fabrication and testing including samples containing radioactive materials.
  • Chemical analysis and durability testing of wasteforms and other materials.
  • Scientific expertise in solid state chemistry-physics and materials science.
  • Actinide chemistry expertise.
  • Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy.

Key contact:

Martin Stewart, Task Leader, Wasteform Design and Processing
ANSTO Institute of Materials Engineering
PMB 1, Menai NSW 2234, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9717 3617
Email: Martin.stewart@ansto.gov.au