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Nuclear Waste Management Solid State Chemistry
About
The Nuclear Waste Management Solid State Chemistry Team is devoted to studying fundamental processes such as the nature of chemical bonding and condensed matter physical behaviour of key nuclear materials arising from the nuclear fuel cycle and energy production. The group uses a combination of experimental and simulation methods on laboratory synthesized compounds to explore single effect processes at high resolution which are then often cross examined against actual materials arising directly from spent nuclear fuel waste streams.
Research Topics
Our research focuses on the solid-state chemistry and materials science of nuclear fuels and fuel-related materials, spanning both fission and fusion contexts.
- Spent Nuclear Fuel Behavior - Investigating the chemical and structural evolution of spent nuclear fuel during storage and under repository-relevant conditions, including secondary phase formation and long-term stability.
- Actinide Chemistry - Studying the coordination chemistry, oxidation states, and bonding behavior of actinide compounds relevant to nuclear fuel cycles and waste forms.
- Crystallography of Nuclear Materials - Using diffraction-based methods to resolve structural changes in fuel and waste matrices, including phase transitions and defect structures.
- Radiation Damage Effects - Examining how irradiation alters the microstructure and properties of materials in both fission (fuel, cladding) and fusion (plasma-facing, structural) environments.
- Materials Science of Irradiated Fuel - Linking structural and chemical changes to macroscopic material performance, informing safety assessments for storage and disposal.
Current projects
Last Modified: 21.07.2026