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Gamma irradiation resistance of an early age slag-blended cement matrix for nuclear waste encapsulation

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Abstract

Irradiation is one of the characteristic conditions that nuclear wasteforms must withstand to assure integrity during their service life. This study investigates gamma irradiation resistance of an early age slag cement-based grout, which is of interest for the nuclear industry as it is internationally used for encapsulation of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes. The slag cement-based grout withstands a gamma irradiation dose of 4.77 MGy over 256 h without reduction in its compressive strength; however, some cracking of irradiated samples was identified. The high strength retention is associated with the fact that the main hydration product forming in this binder, a calcium aluminum silicate hydrate (C–A–S–H) type gel, remains unmodified upon irradiation. Comparison with a heat-treated sample was carried out to identify potential effects of the temperature rise during irradiation exposure. The results suggested that formation of cracks is a combined effect of radiolysis and heating upon irradiation exposure.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study has been sponsored by EPSRC through the University of Sheffield/University of Manchester Doctoral Training Centre ‘Nuclear FiRST’. The NMR spectra were collected using the EPSRC UK National Solid-state NMR Service at Durham University, and the assistance of Dr David Apperley is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks are due to Dr Ruth Edge and Dalton Cumbrian Facility for their great assistance in the irradiation experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Immobilisation Science Laboratory, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK

    Neda Mobasher, Susan A. Bernal, Hajime Kinoshita & John L. Provis

  2. Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning, Dalton Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Clint A. Sharrad

Authors
  1. Neda Mobasher
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  2. Susan A. Bernal
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  3. Hajime Kinoshita
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  4. Clint A. Sharrad
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  5. John L. Provis
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Correspondence to John L. Provis.

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Mobasher, N., Bernal, S.A., Kinoshita, H. et al. Gamma irradiation resistance of an early age slag-blended cement matrix for nuclear waste encapsulation. Journal of Materials Research 30, 1563–1571 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.404

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