UTGARD LAB PHASE II: A SIMFUEL FABRICATION & CHARACTERISATION FACILITY

Lead Research Organisation: Lancaster University
Department Name: Engineering

Abstract

The UK currently derives ~16% of its electricity from nuclear fission which constitutes a significant proportion of our low-carbon power. For this to continue, and for our energy use to be decarbonised as is planned, new nuclear plant will be needed well into the future. The UK's history as a nuclear fission pioneer has left a legacy of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in storage that is projected to grow to 6200 teU of UO2-based fuel over the lifetime of the national Advanced Gas cooled Reactor (AGR) fleet and the Light Water Reactor (LWR) at Sizewell. If new build is implemented to current projected capacity, this will lead to a further ~16,000 teU of UO2-based spent LWR fuel.

Depending on the policies of individual nuclear nations, SNF is either reprocessed or destined to be disposed of in Geologic Disposal Facilities (GDFs). Development of advanced, safer reprocessing cycles or safe wet/dry storage, retrieval and subsequent consignment to GDF requires a detailed understanding of the evolution and behaviour of SNF under conditions relevant to those activities. In the UK, the very high radiation fields arising from real SNF prohibits their study in all but a few specialised "hot cells" operated by Sellafield or NNL. This access is necessarily resource constrained, so impeding the advancing of knowledge in key areas of SNF research.

One way to obviate this problem is to work on simulated SNF (SIMFUELs) consisting of e.g. specially prepared UO2 (depleted) pellets with the same microstructures expected for real SNF with chemical components added to simulate plutonium and fission products formed in-reactor. Ready availability of a wide range of SIMFUEL compositions would both accelerate and enhance understanding of the relative roles of different phases in SNF and mechanistic understanding of key fuel behaviours.

Currently, SIMFUEL fabrication in the UK is only conducted at NNL, which again presents access issues. Thus, the vision for this proposal is to establish a university facility for SIMFUEL fabrication & characterisation - a facility that will be unique within the UK HEI landscape and, by offering open access to external users, will serve to drive and accelerate UK SNF research.

Reflecting the fuel used in the UK's current AGRs & LWR, and to be used in new build LWRs, our focus will be on oxide SIMFUELs - although, with an eye to future fuel cycles, this will include MOX and ThO2-based fuels. The proposed facility will therefore initiate, support and enable research in the following themes:

Theme 1: The development of new, advanced sintering routes for the fabrication of SIMFUELs with porosities, fission product loadings, and defect microstructures that better simulate those of real SNF.
Theme 2: Study of the behaviour of these advanced SIMFUELs, as well as those prepared using conventional ceramic processing techniques, under a range of conditions relevant to the back end of the fuel cycle - including wet/dry interim storage, geologic disposal and new reprocessing routes.

Potential academic users include any concerned with the fundamental physical, chemical and materials properties of SNF, its storage, recycle and disposal. This includes not only the decommissioning / disposal focussed EPSRC TRANSCEND Consortium and the BEIS-funded National Nuclear Innovation Programme in Recycle and Waste management, but also those nuclear CDT students working in this area. Industrially, we have already sequestered interest from RWM Ltd, NNL and Sellafield who would wish to commission the fabrication of samples on a more flexible basis than currently available. To have such a national facility will be a great enabler not only for UK users but also for fission research collaborators from overseas as some international laboratories report great difficulty in getting access to SIMFUEL samples that can be produced & delivered quickly and in a range of compositions iteratively informed by on-going research programmes.

Planned Impact

Aside from academic beneficiaries identified elsewhere on this form, beneficiaries of the R&D that will be underpinned and accelerated by the proposed UTGARD SIMFUEL Facility fall into three distinct groups:

1. The nuclear industry, including but not limited to nuclear site licence companies (e.g. Sellafield Ltd, EdF, Westinghouse Springfields Fuel Ltd) and their supply chains,

2. Government & associated bodies (e.g. the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy), policy makers (e.g. the Nuclear Innovation & Research Advisory Board), regulators and implementation authorities (e.g. the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, National Nuclear Laboratory, Radioactive Waste Management Ltd), and

3. Society and the general public.

We envisage that the R&D and associated activities facilitated will have significant impact in four key domains of relevance to our end-users and stakeholders:

1. Knowledge, by fostering the creation of new fundamental understanding and technologies to help address challenges in the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), hence leading to long term economic, social, environmental, safety, health and security benefits associated with improved SNF storage, disposal and recycling.

2. People, through training and supporting the development of the scientists and engineers who access the facility, providing them with the skills, experience and knowledge of direct relevance to the nuclear sector, so supporting the Nuclear Skills Pipeline;

3. Economy, through accelerating the generation of exploitable research results supporting reductions in the costs of SNF storage & geological disposal and the development of new fuel recycling processes that may reduce future environmental & financial burdens, leading in turn to the creation of indigenous IP strengthening of the competitiveness of the UK civil nuclear sector, and ultimately to job creation though technology commercialisation; and

4. Society, by informing UK energy, environmental & industrial policies, regulatory regimes and by supporting a reduction in the hazard, timescales and cost to the taxpayer associated with SNF storage, disposal and/or recycle - the latter enhancing public acceptance of nuclear power and, especially, geological disposal immediately prior to the launch of the Geologic Disposal Facility siting process.
 
Description The UK currently derives ~16% of its electricity from nuclear fission which constitutes a significant proportion of our low-carbon power. For this to continue, and for our energy use to be decarbonised as is planned, new nuclear plant will be needed well into the future. The UK's history as a nuclear fission pioneer has left a legacy of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in storage that is projected to grow to 6200 teU of UO2-based fuel over the lifetime of the national Advanced Gas cooled Reactor (AGR) fleet and the Light Water Reactor (LWR) at Sizewell. If new build is implemented to current projected capacity, this will lead to a further ~16,000 teU of UO2-based spent LWR fuel.
Depending on the policies of individual nuclear nations, SNF is either reprocessed or destined to be disposed of in Geologic Disposal Facilities (GDFs). Development of advanced, safer reprocessing cycles or safe wet/dry storage, retrieval and subsequent consignment to GDF requires a detailed understanding of the evolution and behaviour of SNF under conditions relevant to those activities. In the UK, the very high radiation fields arising from real SNF prohibits their study in all but a few specialised "hot cells" operated by Sellafield or NNL. This access is necessarily resource constrained, so impeding the advancing of knowledge in key areas of SNF research.
One way to obviate this problem is to work on simulated SNF (SIMFUELs) consisting of e.g. specially prepared UO2 (depleted) pellets with the same microstructures expected for real SNF with chemical components added to simulate plutonium and fission products formed in-reactor. Ready availability of a wide range of SIMFUEL compositions would both accelerate and enhance understanding of the relative roles of different phases in SNF and mechanistic understanding of key fuel behaviours.
Currently, SIMFUEL fabrication in the UK is only conducted at NNL, which again presents access issues. Thus, the vision for this proposal was to establish a university facility for SIMFUEL fabrication & characterisation - a unique facility within the UK HEI landscape and, by offering open access to external users, driving and accelerating UK SNF research. Reflecting the fuel used in the UK's current AGRs & LWR, and to be used in new build LWRs, our focus is on oxide SIMFUELs - although, with an eye to future fuel cycles, this also includes uranium nitride, MOX and ThO2-based fuels. Since its establishment in 2020, UTGARD has initiated, supported and enabled research in the following themes:
Theme 1: The development of new, advanced sintering routes for the fabrication of SIMFUELs with porosities, fission product loadings, and defect microstructures that better simulate those of real SNF.
Theme 2: Study of the behaviour of these advanced SIMFUELs, as well as those prepared using conventional ceramic processing techniques, under a range of conditions relevant to the back end of the fuel cycle - including wet/dry interim storage, geologic disposal and new reprocessing routes.
Recently, work has expanded into a third theme unforeseen at the time of submission of the original proposal:
Theme 3: The development of routes to novel fuel forms for use in the UK's proposed future Advanced Modular Reactors, including both uranium nitride-based fuels and coated particle fuels.
Academic and industry users have been engaged in, and have used UTGARD for, a wide range of nuclear fuel related research areas including new routes to novel fuel types for future reactor designs (Theme 3), the fundamental physical, chemical and materials properties of SNF(Theme 1), its storage, recycle and disposal (Theme 2). This includes not only the decommissioning / disposal focussed EPSRC TRANSCEND Consortium, the BEIS-funded National Nuclear Innovation Programme in Recycle and Waste management and the DESNZ-funded programme in advanced fuels for future reactors, but also those nuclear CDT students working in this area. Industrially, we have been successful in sequestering interest from Nuclear Waste Services, NNL and Sellafield who have commissioned the fabrication and study of samples on a more flexible basis than currently available. A truly national facility that is now attracting international attention (esp in Canada and the US) UTGARD is a great enabler not only for UK users but also for fission research collaborators from overseas as some international laboratories, report great difficulty in getting access to advanced fuel and SIMFUEL samples that can be produced & delivered quickly and in a range of compositions iteratively informed by on-going research programmes.
Exploitation Route The vision and aim for UTGARD was to establish a university facility for simulated spent nuclear fuel (SIMFUEL) fabrication & characterisation, for that facility to be unique within the UK HEI landscape and, by offering open access to external users, for that facility to drive and accelerate UK research into the storage, recycle and disposal of spent nuclear fuel.
The specific objectives supporting the realisation of this aim, as well as how those objectives are serving others, are as follows:
Objective 1. To deliver a cutting-edge, world-leading nuclear research facility by the end of FY 2020/2021 by: (i) extension of Lancaster's existing radiochemical lab for open sources, UTGARD Lab (Uranium/Thorium beta-Gamma Active R&D Lab); and (ii) the siting of a bundle of closely aligned equipment therein to create an effective single SIMFUEL R&D facility.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: UTGARD is now open for external users to access - and has been for the last 3 years, see Narrative Impact section.
Objective 2. By siting of the proposed facility within UTGARD Lab, to leverage significant co-located supporting equipment and attract minimal infrastructural and administrative overheads.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: As above UTGARD is now open for external users to access. Due to our costing model, some of that access is offered on a discounted or pro bono basis (e.g. use by Strathclyde, Sheffield, Glasgow, as well as internal Lancaster users).
3. By siting the proposed facility within UTGARD Lab, to exploit its existing user base and to improve further on its NUFF-audited 33% usage by external users.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: UTGARD is now open for external users to access, see Narrative Impact section. For over 6 months of AY 2022/23, UTGARD was hosting external users
4. To focus on oxide fuels so as (i) to reflect the fuel used in the UK's current AGRs & LWR, and to be used in new build LWRs, to focus on oxide SIMFUELs; and (ii) to future protect the facility by including oxide fuels for future fuel cycles such as uranium nitride, coated particle, MOX (both existing heterogeneous MOX and new homogeneous formulations) and ThO2-based fuels.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: As a result of work carried out in UTGARD, Lancaster now has four active research projects, funded by DESNZ, the European Space agency and UKRI, in the areas of coated particle fuels, homogeneous MOX materials and uranium nitride fuels.
5. Facilitated by the co-location with UTGARD Lab and the focus on oxide fuels, to expand NNUF Phase 1 facilities to include a distinct cradle-to-grave facility, that allows for wet precursor to dry SIMFUEL fabrication & characterisation to take place under one roof and that supports and complements the BEIS Nuclear Innovation Programme
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: Please see response to Objective 4 above.
6. To develop new, advanced sintering routes for the fabrication of SIMFUELs with porosities, fission product loadings, and defect microstructures that better simulate those of real SNF
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: UTGARD has fabricated a wide number of SIMFUEL samples that are now being used in follow-on projects funded by Sellafield and Nuclear Waste Service & the NDA to study the behaviour of UK SNFs under post-irradiation storage and disposal conditions respectively.
7. Using these advanced SIMFUELs, as well as those prepared using conventional ceramic processing techniques to develop, from FY 2020/2021 onwards, innovative technical capabilities and solutions in key strategic areas identified by NIRAB - specifically wet/dry interim storage, geologic disposal and new reprocessing routes.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: Please see responses to Objectives 4 and 6 above
8. To enhance the position and reputation of the UK in nuclear research over the coming decade by increasing the output of high-impact research in the area of spent nuclear fuel by avoiding access and operator exposure issues associated with working with real spent nuclear fuel.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: Please see Narrative Impact section.
9. To enable the development of affordable, cost-effective solutions for national research by 2025 in support of the new-build & future decommissioning programmes by avoiding cost and security issues associated with working with real spent nuclear fuel.
Outcome: Objective achieved.
Possible use by others: Please see responses to Objectives 4 and 6 above.
10. To enable national & international research collaborations from financial year 2020/2021 between academia & industry by minimising cost and the materials transfer permissioning issues associated with SIMFUELs fabricated on nuclear licensed sites.
Outcome: Objective achieved
Possible use to others: UTGARD staff are now in dialogue with US and Canadian researchers and are co-investigators on the recently submitted EURAD-2 proposal. UTGARD's involvement in EURAD-2 would be to provide SIMFUEL samples to just over a dozen academic and industrial research labs across the EU.
11. To create a library of well characterised SIMFUELs for use by those researchers that do not wish to create their own materials by retaining samples of each simulant created by UTGARD researchers, with permission, those created by external users
Outcome: Objective achieved
Possible use to others: Please see response to Objectives 2, 6 and 10 above
Sectors Chemicals

Education

Energy

Environment

URL https://www.nnuf.ac.uk/utgard-laboratory
 
Description UTGARD has been used extensively by Lancaster Researchers to conduct research for the UK's BEIS-funded Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme and the UK's DESNZ-funded Advanced Modular Reactor Programme. Research occurred and is still ongoing in three areas: 1. Advanced reprocessing routes for the recycling of spent nuclear fuel; and 2. The development of routes to accident tolerant fuels and the understanding of their behaviour during post irradiation storage, disposal and reprocessing 3. The development of routes to coated particle fuels for advanced reactor designs. Work in the first area has led to a collaboration with the European Space Agency in the area of americium-bearing fuels for satellite applications. Work in the second two areas has led to a number of further awards: - two in the area of accident tolerant fuels for advanced nuclear reactor designs (funded through the BEIS Advanced Nuclear Science & Innovation Campus pilot scheme and the National Nuclear User Facility access scheme) - four in the area of coated particle fuels, again for advanced nuclear reactor designs, resulting in the first fabrication of TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel) kernels in a university laboratory since the mid-1970s. - two in the area of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) for space craft, funded by the European Space Agency UTGARD's SIMFUEL fabrication facilities have also been used to support Nuclear Waste Services-funded research into the management of the UK's spent mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel holdings (so-called MOX fuel) and NDA-funded research into the development of a MOX-type material as a waste form for the disposal of the UK's plutonium holdings to a geologic repository. This work has resulted in the development of a faster throughput method for the assessment of MOX's susceptibility to corrosion under geologic repository conditions (cutting experiment times from months/years to days/weeks) that has been used to demonstrate the enhanced resistance to corrosion exhibited by mixed uranium/plutonium oxide-based MOX materials compared to pure UO2 or spent nuclear fuel simulants. Post-relaxation of COVID restrictions, UTGARD is now open to other external users including: University of Leeds - who are fabricating silicide fuel surrogates in UTGARD University of Sheffield - who are fabricating uranium and thorium holding zirconolite wasteforms in UTGARD University of Liverpool - who are synthesising mixed U/Ce oxides for disposal MOX applications in UTGARD University of Leicester - who are producing RTG pellet precursors in UTGARD Rolls Royce Derby - who have conducted inspections of novel zircalloy formulations for cladding of advanced nuclear fuels for small modular reactors LiNa Energy - who have used UTGARDs facilities for the characterisation of novel battery components as part of their technical strategy for securing investor interest during their public offering. University of Strathclyde - who have used UTGARDs SIMFUEL sample library to develop a new hyperspectral imaging technique for the safe, at-distance analysis and characterisation of freshly fabricated and spent nuclear fuel University of Glasgow - who have used UTGARDs facilities for the characterisation of simulants for PuO2, so supporting the UK's plutonium storage programme. Most recently, UTGARD hosted a ministerial visit in which the UK's plutonium strategy was discussed with the Under Secretary of State for DESNZ / Minister for Nuclear - and during which the Minister was appraised of the disadvantages associated the UK's current policy of sending its plutonium holdings to direct disposal.
First Year Of Impact 2021
Sector Chemicals,Education,Energy,Environment
Impact Types Societal

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description ANZAC@ANSIC: Advanced Technology Fuels in support of Net Zero And DeCarbonisation
Amount £65,000 (GBP)
Funding ID GC-516 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2021 
End 03/2022
 
Description ATLANTIC: Accident ToLerANT fuels In reCycling
Amount £2,545,629 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/S011935/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2018 
End 11/2023
 
Description Advanced Nuclear Fuels Programme
Amount £810,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/NIP/003 
Organisation Government of the UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2019 
End 10/2021
 
Description Disposal MOX
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Funding ID National Nuclear Laboratory Agreement No NNL/UA/137 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2025
 
Description Fabrication of Uranium Mononitride (UN) Pellets and Study of their Oxidative Susceptibility throughout the Fuel Cycle
Amount £155,139 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/T011351/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 03/2024
 
Description MOX SIMFUELs - Development of Simulants
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Organisation Nuclear Decommissioning Authority NDA 
Department Radioactive Waste Management
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2019 
End 11/2023
 
Description NNL Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme NNL/NIP/0066 - UO2 Kernels for Coated Particle Fuels
Amount £75,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/NIP/0066 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2021 
End 03/2022
 
Description NNL Advanced Nuclear Fuels Programme - Spent Fuel Management
Amount £150,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/NIP/0019 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2020 
End 06/2021
 
Description Production of Uranium Oxycarbide Kernels for use in the Development of UK Coated Particle Fuel
Amount £91,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/NIP/0079 
Organisation Government of the UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Description Production of Uranium Oxycarbide Kernels for use in the Development of UK Coated Particle Fuel
Amount £50,000 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/X525583/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 12/2023
 
Description Proton, alpha and gamma irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking: understanding the fuel-steel interface
Amount £65,000 (GBP)
Funding ID A109474 
Organisation Sellafield Ltd 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2027
 
Description Research into the production of Uranium Oxycarbide Kernels
Amount £200,520 (GBP)
Funding ID PSS/2023/101 
Organisation Government of the UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2024 
End 01/2025
 
Description SATURN CDT ("Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear" Centre for Doctoral Training)
Amount £10,393,040 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/Y034856/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2024 
End 09/2032
 
Description SICODELIQ - SImulated COntamination assisted DEcontamination of highly active LIQuid facilities
Amount £29,200 (GBP)
Funding ID National Nuclear Laboratory Agreement No NNL/UA/ 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2025
 
Description TRANSCEND: Transformative Science and Engineering for Nuclear Decommissioning
Amount £4,587,420 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/S01019X/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2018 
End 09/2023
 
Description TRISO Electrochem Corrosion
Amount £167,000 (GBP)
Funding ID PSS/2023/077 
Organisation Government of the UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2023 
End 01/2025
 
Description The Management of Spent Oxide Fuel: Detecting the Onset of Cladding Corrosion Under Irradiated Fuel Storage Pond Conditions
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/UA/160 
Organisation Nuclear Decommissioning Authority NDA 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2023 
End 12/2026
 
Description The Management of Spent Oxide Fuel: Irradiation of AGR SIMfuels in Pond Storage Environments - Consequences for UO2 Corrosion and Water Radiolysis
Amount £60,000 (GBP)
Organisation Sellafield Ltd 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2027
 
Description The electrochemistry of Ag(II) and its application in spent fuel dissolution
Amount £60,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NNL/UA/167 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2022 
End 09/2026
 
Description U/Ce Oxides from Oxalate Route
Amount £125,000 (GBP)
Organisation European Space Agency 
Sector Public
Country France
Start 03/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Description UTGARD Lab - 7 User Access Awards Funded by the National Nuclear Users Facility
Amount £7,511,247 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/T011351/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2019 
End 03/2024
 
Description UTGARD Lab Phase II: A SIMFUEL Fabrication & Characterisation Facility
Amount £752,056 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/T011416/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2019 
End 03/2024
 
Description Understanding the Volatilisation of Ruthenium
Amount £50,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Sellafield Ltd Contract No A104820 
Organisation Sellafield Ltd 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2020 
End 09/2024
 
Description Collaboration with NNL in the area of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Fabrication 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Working with NNL Subject Matter Experts in the area of advanced nuclear fuel fabrication through a series of PhD and PDRA positions
Collaborator Contribution Supporting Lancaster's work in advanced nuclear fuel fabrication through a series of PhD and PDRA positions
Impact "Simulation of uranium mononitride spent fuel: A crystallographic approach.", C.Degueldre, D.Goddard, G,Berhane, A.Simpson, C.Boxall, J.Nucl.Mat., 562, Paper No. 153612 (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153612 "A Review of the Reprocessability of Uranium Nitride Based Fuels", S.Jones, C.Boxall, C.Maher, R.J.Taylor, Prog,Nucl.Ener., 165, Paper No 104917 (2023) DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2023.104917 "Simulation of uranium mononitride spent fuel: A thermodynamic approach.", C.Degueldre, D.Goddard, G,Berhane, A.Simpson, C.Boxall, J.Nucl.Mat., 592, Paper No. 154900 (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2024.154900
Start Year 2019
 
Description Collaboration with Sellafield 
Organisation Sellafield Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Academic supervision of three research students in the area of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste management
Collaborator Contribution Industrial supervision and funding of three research students in the area of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste management
Impact Project early stages at the moment
Start Year 2019
 
Description NNL collaboration in the area of advanced nuclear reprocessing 
Organisation National Nuclear Laboratory
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Working with NNL Subject Matter Experts in the area of advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing through a series of PhD and PDRA positions
Collaborator Contribution Supporting Lancaster's work in advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing through a series of PhD and PDRA positions
Impact "The hydrolysis of Hydroxamic Acid Complexants in the Presence of Non-Oxidising Metal Ions 1: Ferric Ions", F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall and R.J.Taylor, J.Sol.Chem, 36(10), 1201-1217 (2007). IF = 1.128 "The hydrolysis of Hydroxamic Acid Complexants in the Presence of Non-Oxidising Metal Ions 2: Neptunium (IV) Ions", F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall, I.May and R.J.Taylor, J.Sol.Chem, 37(2), 215-232 (2008). IF = 1.128 "Oxidation-Reduction Reactions of Simple Hydroxamic Acids in the Presence of Plutonium (IV) Ions", M.J.Carrott, O.D.Fox, G.LeGurun, C.J.Jones, C.Mason, R.J.Taylor, F.Andrieux, C.Boxall, Radiochimica Acta, 96(6), 333-344 (2008). IF = 1.373 "Acetohydroxamatoiron (III) complexes: Thermodynamics of formation and temperature dependent speciation", F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall and R.J.Taylor, J.Sol.Chem, 37(11), 1511-1527 (2008). IF = 1.128 "Some aspects of neptunium acetohydroxamic acid chemistry under acid conditions", M.J.Sarsfield, R.J.Taylor, C.Boxall, F.P.L.Andrieux, Radiochimica Acta, 97(4-5), 219-222 (2009). IF = 1.373 "Surface Decontamination by Photocatalysis", R.J.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, Proceedings of ASME 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management,Vol. 2, 185-193 (2010). "A Preliminary Study of the Hydrolysis of Hydroxamic Acid Complexants in the Presence of Oxidising Metal Ions" F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall, I.May, R.J.Taylor IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 9, Article 012081, 8 pages (2010). "Hydrolysis of Hydroxamic Acid Complexants in the Presence of Non-Oxidizing Metal Ions", S.Edwards, F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, D.Woodhead, in "Materials Challenges in Current and Future Nuclear Technologies", K.R.Whittle, M.Bertolus, B.Uberuaga, R.W.Grimes (Eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 1383, Article mrsf11-1383-a07-02, 6 pages (2012) DOI: 10.1557/opl.2012.210 "Surface Decontamination by Photocatalysis", R.J.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, S.Woodbury in "Materials Challenges in Current and Future Nuclear Technologies", K.R.Whittle, M.Bertolus, B.Uberuaga, R.W.Grimes (Eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 1383, Article mrsf11-1383-a07-07, 7 pages (2012) DOI: 10.1557/opl.2012.182 " Photocatalytically Driven Dissolution of Macroscopic Metal Surfaces. Part 1: Silver" R.J.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, J.Photochem.Photobiol A: Chem., 249, 21-28 (2012) DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2012.09.003 IF = 2.416 "Neptunium (V) oxidation by nitrous acid in nitric acid" C.Gregson, C.Boxall, M.Carrott, S.Edwards, M.Sarsfield, R.Taylor, D.Woodhead, in "Atalante 2012 International Conference on Nuclear Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Cycles", C.Poinsott (Ed), Elsevier, London UK, Procedia Chemistry, 7, 398-403 (2012). DOI: 10.1016/j.proche.2012.10.062 IF = 0.4 "The hydrolysis of Hydroxamic Acid Complexants in the Presence of Non-Oxidising Metal Ions 3: Ferric Ions at elevated temperatures", F.P.L.Andrieux, C.Boxall, H.Steele and R.J.Taylor, J.Sol.Chem, 43(3) 608-622 (2014). DOI 10.1007/s10953-014-0142-y IF = 1.128 "The Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on the Dissolution of Electrodeposited Uranium Oxide Films on 316L Stainless Steel" " R.J.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, S.Woodbury, J.Nuc.Mat., 464, 86-96 (2015). DOI 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.04.007 IF = 2.09 "A Study of Cerium Extraction by TBP and TODGA using a Rotating Diffusion Cell" M.A.Bromley, C.Boxall, Nukleonika, 60(4), 859-864 (2015). DOI: 10.1515/nuka-2015-0121 IF=0.477 "Simulation of Neptunium extraction in an Advanced PUREX process - model improvement", H.Chen, R.J.Taylor, M.Jobson, D.A.Woodhead, C.Boxall, A.J.Masters, S.Edwards, Solvent Extraction & Ion Exchange, 35(1), 1-18 (2017). DOI: 10.1080/07366299.2016.1273684 IF = 2.05 "The Effects of Nitric Acid on Extraction Properties of TODGA During Fission Product Management", M.A.Bromley, C.Boxall in "The Scientific Basis of Nuclear Waste Management", N.C.Hyatt, R.Ewing, Y.Inagaki, C.Jantzen (Eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, MRS Advances., 2(10), 563-568 (2017) DOI: 10.1557/adv.2016.624 "Photocatalytically driven dissolution of macroscopic nickel surfaces", R.J.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, R.J.Taylor, Corrosion Science, 131, 137-146 (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.corsci.2017.11.018 IF = 5.3 "Neptunium(IV)-hydroxamate complexes: their speciation, and kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis", S.Edwards, F.Andrieux, C.Boxall, M.Sarsfield, R. Taylor and D.Woodhead, Dalton Trans., 48, 673 - 687 (2019). DOI: 10.1039/c8dt02194e IF = 4.099. "Nitrous acid-driven reduction of vanadium as a neptunium analogue ", M.Chimes, C.Boxall, S.Edwards, M.Sarsfield, R.J.Taylor D.Woodhead, Prog.Nucl.Sci.Tech, 5, 37-40 (2018). DOI: 10.15669/pnst.5.37 "A Study of Cerium Extraction Kinetics by TODGA in Acidified and Non-Acidified Organic Solvent Phases in the Context of Fission Product Management", M.A.Bromley, C.Boxall, Prog.Nucl.Sci.Tech, 5, 70-73 (2018). DOI: 10.15669/pnst.5.70
 
Description 12 Monthly Meetings with NNL - Accident Tolerant Fuels 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 12 monthly meetings with NNL to discuss progress with Accident Tolerant Fuel Project
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
 
Description 25 fortnightly meetings with NNL to review progress in decontamination research projects 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 25 fortnightly meetings with NNL to discuss progress in decontamination research. associated students are funded by NNL/Sellafield's Centre for Innovative Nuclear Decommissioning (CINDe) and are affiliated to the TRANSCEND consortium.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
 
Description AFCP Progress Review Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact July 2020 meeting with NNL to review Lancaster's progress on reprocessing work packages of UK's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description AFCP Progress Review Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meeting to review progress of university partners in the reprocessing work packages of the UK's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description ATLANTIC Annual Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Annual meeting of ATLANTIC Consortium. Presentations made on progress in all themes. Held on line on 20-21 Jan 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Aqueous Recycle Project, Theme 1: Flowsheet development: Work Package 3: Finishing 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation and discussion of progress made in Lancaster's work on the UK's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Attendance at Radioactive Waste Management Spent Fuel Strategy Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Attendance at Radioactive Waste Management Spent Fuel Strategy Workshop, online, 8th October 2021. Purpose to develop RWM's research strategy in this area. Made invited presentation as follows:

"Update on AGR SIMFUEL Studies at Lancaster", C.Boxall, N.Rauff-Nisthar, E.Howett, R.Wilbraham, G.Berhane, S.Jones, I.Robertson
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Attending the American Nuclear Society Meeting in Washington DC 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 5 oral presentations made at the American Nuclear Society Meeting in Washington DC in Nov 2024. Presentations made in the areas of accident tolerant fuels, spent fuel recycling, disposal, and the development of MOX SIMFUEL / Disposal MOX materials
Also participated in joint UK-US panel on national level collaborations going forward and engaged with subject matter experts at US national labs about future joint research projects
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.energy.gov/doe-stem/events/2023-american-nuclear-society-ans-winter-conference#:~:text=A...
 
Description Bimonthly meetings with Westinghouse Sweden to discuss advanced sintering techniques for accident tolerant fuels 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Beginning September 2020, bimonthly meetings with Westinghouse Sweden to discuss advanced sintering techniques for accident tolerant fuels
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
 
Description Integrated Finishing Studies 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact , Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Quaterly Technical Meeting, on-line https://glsr.live/AFCPSept , 22nd - 23rd September 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Invited Presentation "The Nuclear Option(s)" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Invited Presentation "The Nuclear Option(s)", C. Boxall, Engineering the Energy Tranistion Conference, The Bryden Centre, The Titanic Hotel, Belfast, 27th - 28th February 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meeting to promote UK Active Facilities 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Feb 2020 Meeting at Sheffield to promote UK National Nuclear User Facilities to potential users.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meeting to promote UK NNUF Facilities 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact June 2020 meeting to promote UK National Nuclear User Facilities to potential users
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meeting with NNL to discuss use of UTGARD 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 14th Oct 2020 meeting with NNL to discuss their possible use of UTGARD Lab
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meeting with NNL to review progress on UK's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Nov 2020 meeting with NNL to review Lancaster's progress on reprocessing work packages of UK's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programm
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meeting with Radioactive Waste Management Ltd 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact meeting with radioactive waste management ltd to discuss progress on mixed oxide nuclear fuel project
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Meetings with the European Space Agency 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meetings with European Space Agency to present progress on project to develop Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators to power spacecraft.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description Participation in Euratom-funded EURAD-2 Focus Funnel Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact ~300 delegates attended the Euratom-funded EURAD-2 Focus Funnel event in Cyprus in order to determine the priorities for the EURAD programme. EURAD is a consortium of over 60 nuclear waste management organisations from across the EU, including respective national government agencies with responsibility for nuclear waste management policy in their respective countries
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/events/eurad-2-wp-focus-funnel
 
Description Participation in NDA Group Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Participation in NDA Group conference, resulting in NDA research lead agreeing to provide cash-match-funding for a TRANSCEND follow-on bid to EPSRC
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Participation in NNL's Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Showcase Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact UK's national nuclear lab hosts BEIS, world-leading academia and industry at pioneering showcase events
The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) hosted world-leading researchers, business, supply chain and government officials to celebrate the success of two headline projects, highlighting the role that nuclear plays in reaching net zero by 2050. Held on the 30 & 31 March at the Preston Marriott Hotel, each day was designated to celebrating one of NNL's key projects, delivered in partnership with BEIS - the Advanced Nuclear Skills and Innovation Campus (ANSIC) pilot and the Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP). In total, 430 delegates were in attendance.
Lancaster researchers presented posters on their work on advanced reprocessing routes for spent fuel and on the fabrication of the UO2 kernels for Coated Particle Fuels, the fuel of choice for the UK's proposed Advanced Modular Reactor
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nnl.co.uk/2022/04/uks-national-nuclear-lab-hosts-beis-and-world-leading-academia-and-ind...
 
Description Participation in NNL's Advanced Nuclear Skills & Innovation Campus Showcase Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The ANSIC showcase highlighted industry and academia collaborations through a range of engaging presentations, celebrating projects that have helped accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Lancaster researchers presented a poster: "Advanced Technology Fuels in support of Net Zero And DeCarbonisation". The topic of the poster featured in the day's plenary presenation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.niauk.org/advanced-nuclear-skills-and-innovation-campus-showcase-30-03-22/
 
Description Presentation at TRANSCEND Annual Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 1 oral presentation at the TRANSCEND Annual Meeting as follows

"Safe Interim Storage of plutonium: Electrochemical investigations on doped plutonium oxide", D.Laventine, C.Boxall, D.Wegen, TRANSCEND 2nd Annual Meeting, DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel, 10th - 12th November 2021,

3 poster presentations at the TRANSCEND Annual Meeting as follows:

"The Radiolysis of Water over Plutonium Dioxide: A Study of H2/O2 Recombination Processes", C.Williams, C.Boxall, H.Steele, R.Orr

"MOX SIMfuels: Production and Preliminary Studies of Homogeneous U:CeO2 SIMfuels", I.Robertson, C.Boxall, D.Hambley, R.Hibberd, R.Wilbraham

"Interaction of Water with PuO2 Analogues", D.Laventine, C.Boxall, R.Taylor, R.Orr
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://transcendconsortium.org/document-library/
 
Description Presentation at the 99. Radioactive Waste Management Research Support Office Annual Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Poster presentation at the RWM RSO Annual conference as follows:

Radioactive Waste Management Research Support Office Annual Conference, Hyatt Regency Manchester, 15th - 16th September 2021, "UTGARD Lab - A SIMFUEL Fabrication Facility", R.Wilbraham, C.Boxall
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.research-support-office-gdf.ac.uk/connect/previous-events/
 
Description Presentation at the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office Annual Conference, Jan 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Poster presentations at NWS Annual Conference on UTGARD and Development of MOX SIMFUELs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation at the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office Annual Conference, Jan 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation at the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office Annual Conference, Jan 2024, on the development of MOX SIMFUELs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Presentation on UTGARD at NNUF Symposium, Oxford, March 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation on access to UTGARD for external users - made to NNUF Symposium, Oxford, March 2024
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL http://www.nnuf.ac.uk
 
Description Presentation on UTGARD to NNUF Symposium, Lancaster, June 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation on access to UTGARD for external users - made to NNUF Symposium, Lancaster, June 2023
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL http://www.nnuf.ac.uk
 
Description Presentation on UTGARD to NNUF Symposium, Oxford, Dec 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Presentation on UTGARD to NNUF Symposium, Oxford, Dec 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to EU "Plutonium Management for More Agility" consortium 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation to EU "Plutonium Management for More Agility" consortium on the reprocessability of accident tolerant fuels
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to European Spent Fuel Workshop 22 in Barcelona 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Review presentation on Lancaster's SIMFUEL research to the Spent Fuel Workshop 22 conference in Barcelona
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://sfw22.amphos21.com/
 
Description Presentation to NNL Off Gas Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact presentation to oak ridge national lab and NNL on recent work in embedding volatile fission products into SIMFUELs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to The National Nuclear Users Facility Annual Symposium 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Presentation at the NNUF Symposium 2022 as follows:

"UTGARD Lab - A SIMFUEL Fabrication Facility", R.Wilbraham, C.Boxall, The National Nuclear Users Facility Annual Symposium, online, 13th January 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentations at 16IEMPT, France 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 1 oral and 2 poster presentations at the OECD-convened 16th Information Exchange Meeting on Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation (16IEMPT), OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Presentations in the area of advanced nuclear fuel fabrication and spent fuel reprocessing/recycling processes
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentations at Materials Research Society Meeting in Hawaii, USA 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentations made at Materials Research Society Meeting in Hawaii, USA.
6 oral presentations on: the use of SIMFUELs to predict the behaviour of real fuels; characterisation of SIMFUELs; corrosion studies of real spent nuclear fuel; the role of kinetics in nuclear reprocessing; the role of NO in directing neptunium during advanced nuclear reprocessing schemes; the corrosion behaviour of high-density Advanced Technology Fuels.
2 poster presentations on: advanced oxidation processes for the dissolution of spent nuclear fuel; novel photochemical technologies for the conditions of process streams during advanced reprocessing flowsheets
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.mrs.org/meetings-events/spring-meetings-exhibits/past-spring-meetings/2022-mrs-spring-me...
 
Description Presentations at TRANSCEND Theme Meeting (May 2022) and Annual Conference (Nov 2022) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentations at TRANSCEND Theme Meeting (May 2022) and
Oral Presentation on the development of MOX SIMFUELs
Oral Presentation on the corrosion behaviour of real spent nuclear fuel
Oral presentation on the the possible oxidation of PuO2 to PuO2+x

Oral Presentation at the TRANSCEND Annual Conference (Nov 2022) on the characterisation of SIMFUELs
Poster presentation on the development of MOX SIMFUELs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://transcendconsortium.org/events/
 
Description Presentations at Uranium Science 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The delivery of 3 oral presentations and 2 poster presentations at the international Uranium Science 2023 conference in Manchester in July 2023. Presentations topics included the development of new TRISO-based fuels for future UK reactors, the development of simulants for spent MOX fuel and research on Disposal MOX
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.royce.ac.uk/events/uranium-science-conference-2023/
 
Description Presentations at Waste Management 2020, USA 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Three presentations at Waste Management 2020 in Phoenix Arizona. Presentations summarising progress on plutonium storage and spent nuclear fuel disposal research within the TRANSCEND consortium
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Presentations at Waste Management 2022, USA 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 4 oral presentations made to WM2022 as follows

"Electrokinetic In Situ Decontamination of Entrained Radioactivity Within a Concrete Matrix", T.McCarthy, C.Boxall, M.J.Joyce, A.Banford, Waste Management 2022, Phoenx Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, 6th - 10th March 2022

"Towards the Decontamination of Plutonium Contaminated Bricks: Investigation of Cerium Based Simulant on Brick Penetration", J.Kennedy, C.Boxall, A.Banford, R.Demmer, A.J.Parker, D.Hutchison, Waste Management 2022, Phoenx Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, 6th - 10th March 2022

"Solid-State Electrochemical Oxidation of PuO2 to PuO2+x" D.Laventine, C.Boxall, D.Wegen, Waste Management 2022, Phoenx Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, 6th - 10th March 2022

"The TRANSCEND University Consortium Theme 4: Nuclear material" C. Anderson, L. Blackburn, C. Boxall, C.L. Corkhill, M. Dixon Wilkins, F. Currell, X. Han, J.W. Hobbs, N.C. Hyatt, N. Kaltsoyannis, M. Kuman, D. Laventine, S. Murphy, E. Murray, W. Neilson, R. Orr, M. Read, H. Steele, S.-K. Sun, Waste Management 2022, Phoenx Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, 6th - 10th March 2022

Plus two poster presentations

"The Radiolysis of Water over Plutonium Dioxide: A Study of H2/O2 Recombination Processes", C.Williams, C.Boxall, H.Steele, R.Orr

"Electrokinetic In Situ Decontamination of Entrained Radioactivity Within a Concrete Matrix", T.McCarthy, C.Boxall, M.J.Joyce, A.Banford
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL http://wmsym.org
 
Description Presentations to TRANSCEND Annual (Apr 2023) and Plutonium Theme (July 2023) Meetings 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentations at TRANSCEND Theme Meeting (July 2022) on plutonium research within TRANSCEND and Poster Presentations on the development of DISPOSAL MOX and MOX SIMFUELs at the TRANSCEND Annual Conference (Nov 2022)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://transcendconsortium.org/
 
Description Presentations to Technical Meetings of the UK Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 5 presentations as follows:

"Advanced Aqueous Recycle: Fuel Dissolution and Finishing", C.Boxall, M.Bromley, S.Jones, M.Chimes, R.Wilbraham, Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Quaterly Technical Meeting, online https://glsr.live/AFCPApr, 27th - 28th April 2021.

"Integrated Finishing Studies - Aqueous Recycle" C.Boxall, M.Bromley, S.Jones, M.Chimes, R.Wilbraham, Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Technical Close Out Meeting, online https://glsr.live/AFCPOct, 14th Oct 2021.

"Advanced Aqueous Recycle (Theme 1): Fuel Dissolution and Finishing (WP1 & WP3)", C.Boxall, M.Bromley, S.Jones, M.Chimes, R.Wilbraham, Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Recycle Technical Close Out Meeting, University of Manchester, 3rd November 2021.

"Progress on an innovative photo-reactor for U,Pu coprocessing", M.Bromley, C.Boxall, Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Technical Close Out Meeting, University of Manchester, 3rd November 2021.

"Progress in Work Package 1 - Dissolution", M.Chimes, C.Boxall, Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Technical Close Out Meeting, University of Manchester, 3rd November 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://afcp.nnl.co.uk/
 
Description Presenting at Sellafield/NNL Special Nuclear Materials Meetings 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presenting at Sellafield/NNL Special Nuclear Materials Meetings. Oral presentations on the management of stored plutonium and the development of Disposal MOX / MOX SIMFUELs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
 
Description Progress Review Meeting with NNL 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact May 2020 meeting with NNL to review progress in TRANSCEND and Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Research Projects
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Progress on an innovative photo-reactor for U,Pu coprocessing 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Quaterly Technical Meeting, online https://glsr.live/AFCPDec , 16th - 17th December 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Radioactive Waste Management Ltd Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meeting with Radioactive Waste Management to discuss future project on understanding the behaviour of spent nuclear fuel under disposal conditions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Raman TRaining for NNL - UTGARD Lab 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Training day for NNL staff organised and run by UTGARD Lab staff. The training focused on the use of Raman spectroscopy in the characterisation of the UO2 fuel itself and the cladding within the context of advanced fuel concepts for future UK reactor designs. The training day was organised as part of a larger and developing collaboration in this between Lancaster and NNL and funded by DESNZ.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Series of meetings with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratory 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Series of Teams meetings with staff at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratory to discuss collaboration on the development of TRISO Fuel, the so-called "safest nuclear fuel in the world" and the fuelform currently being advocated by the UK's DESNZ. Currently exploring means to exchange materials under UK-Canadian Govt agreement in the area of the peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
 
Description Six weekly meetings with Nuclear Waste Services 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Six weekly meetings with Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) Programme Managers to discuss progress on NWS sponsored PhD project
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023,2024
 
Description Spent Fuel Management of High Density Fuels 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme Quaterly Technical Meeting, on-line https://glsr.live/AFCPSept , 22nd - 23rd September 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description TRANSCEND Theme Meetings - On-line Dec 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact TRANSCEND Theme Meetings -
1. Theme 3 - Spent Nuclear Fuel
2. Theme 4 - Nuclear Materials
Held on-line Dec 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Visit by EPSRC to UTGARD 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Supporters
Results and Impact Visit by EPSRC Senior Portfolio Managers for Infrastructure and Programme Grants and EPSRC Head of Regional Engagement (NW England) to explore Lancaster's engagement with nuclear and to view recent EPSRC investments in Lancaster's research infra-structure
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Visit by Minister for Nuclear to UTGARD 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Visit by Andrew Bowie (Under Secretary of State for DESNZ and Minister for Nuclear) and Cat Smith (MP for Lancaster) to UTGARD to find out about Lancaster's DESNZ funded work on the development of advanced fuel forms for future nuclear reactor designs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Visit by Sellafield Chief Technology Officer 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact A visit by a Robin Ibbotson - Sellafield Ltd. Chief Technology Officer - to UTGARD Lab took place on 10th July 2023. Discussions held about Lancaster establishing a strategic relationship with Sellafield in the areas of Nuclear and Cyber
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Visit by Sellafield Staff to discuss Lancaster Spent Fuel Research 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Visit to Lancaster by Sellafield staff to discuss Lancaster's research in spent fuel management. Involved presentations on the manufacture, characterisation and use in corrosion studies of SIMFUELs, the development of MOX SIMFUELs and disposal MOX
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Visit by Westinghouse Fuels to UTGARD 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Visit by technical experts from Westinghouse Fuels to Lancaster University in order to tour UTGARD Lab and explore possible collaborations in the area of advanced fuel fabrication
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Visit to Idaho and Oak Ridge National Labs in the USA 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 25 PhD students were taken on a tour of the Idaho and Oak Ridge National Labs in the US, meeting leading scientists working across the nuclear fuel cycle - from fuel fabrication to disposal - and exploring the possibilities of placements. discussions held with subject matter experts on future UK-US research in the context of the inter-govt treaty to freely exchange information and materials on the peaceful applications of nuclear energy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Visit to Vitrification Test Rig, Sellafield 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Visit by Sellafield-part-sponsored PhD student to Vitrification Test Rig on Sellafield Site, meeting technical experts and industrial end-users of their research results
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description six-weekly meetings with sellafield 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meetings every 6 weeks with Sellafield and NNL to discuss progress in plutonium storage related research projects
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023,2024