School Seminar: Uranium mineralogy and geochemistry in a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste - Professor Claire Corkhill, Chair in Nuclear Material Degradation, University of Sheffield

We are very pleased to welcome Professor Claire Corkhill, Chair in Nuclear Material Degradation, University of Sheffield, who will be delivering the School Seminar

Title 

Uranium mineralogy and geochemistry in a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste

Abstract

The final disposal of the UK's inventory of radioactive waste, including uranium- and plutonium-bearing materials, will be in an underground facility, several hundreds of metres below the surface. Here, the waste will be slowly dissolved by groundwater, forming secondary mineral phases and a range of soluble species. This talk will explore the geochemical and mineralogical factors that influence the dissolution reactions of radioactive waste, as well as examining the role that 1-billion year old uranium minerals play in providing confidence in the safety of a geological disposal facility.