Grant: Alliance Grants

The objective of this research is to develop glass-ceramic composite materials that contain crystallites of crystalline materials dispersed in a glass matrix for the immobilization of intermediate level waste generated during the operation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by near-core reactant components absorbing neutrons leaked from the reactor core. Synthetic strategies will be developed to form composite materials in "one-step" with the crystalline materials (e.g., garnet) accommodating larger waste elements/corrosion products (e.g., Mo, Tc) and the glass matrix being able to accommodate smaller waste elements/corrosion products (e.g., Cl, Fe, Ni). Material properties that will be investigated include the effect of radiation-induced damage on these materials using high energy ion-implantation experiments and long-term corrosion studies. It is hypothesized that these glass-ceramic composite materials will be superior compared to current state-of-the-art borosilicate glass waste forms in terms of improved corrosion resistance and waste loading capabilities. The development of advanced waste form materials is important to the deployment of SMRs throughout Canada and for the immobilization of high-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste elements in deep geological repositories.