A fundamental understanding of uranium hydride formation

The uranium-hydrogen reaction is one that has been studied in great detail across the nuclear sector. It features heavily in discussions about nuclear waste storage; as a potentially pyrophoric, powdered biproduct from the corrosion of stored waste uranium metal. It also has an unwanted presence in the storage of sensitive nuclear materials. This proclivity, for metallic uranium to readily react with hydrogen, and the kinetics of this process, make it ideal for the storage of hydrogen, and it is, in fact, the current method of choice for the storage of tritium for use in fusion reactors. There are, therefore, real vested interests in fully understanding the mechanism of this reaction and the behaviour of the uranium hydride material.
Uranium hydride is not just important from an industrial perspective, but has some intriguing solid-state properties, driven by the often-strange behaviour of the actinide 5f electronic states. The proposed PhD project will synthesise uranium hydride in a number of environments (from oxidation of metal films and powders to hydriding under pressure in diamond anvil cells etc.). The student will utilise the radioactive handling and preparation laboratories and dedicated actinide deposition system, unique in the UK (and now part of the National Nuclear User Facilities). Characterisation will be conducted using a range of surface analysis techniques, with particular emphasis on utilising x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We will make use of the high pressure/low temperature capabilities of the correlated electron systems group and the Bristol Oxford Nuclear Research Centre (NRC), employing the Oxford TEM suite to investigate the hydride structures on an atomic scale.

It cannot be overstated how important reducing CO2 emissions are in both electricity production for homes and industry but also in reducing road pollution by replacing petrol/diesel cars with electric cars in the next 20 years. These ambitions will require a large growth in electricity production from low carbon sources that are both reliable and secure and must include nuclear power in this energy mix. Such a future will empower the vision of a prosperous, secure nation with clean energy. To do this the UK needs more than 100 PhD level people per year to enter the nuclear industry. This CDT will impact this vision by producing 70, or more, both highly and broadly trained scientists and engineers, in nuclear power technologies, capable of leading the UK new build and decommissioning programmes for future decades. These students will have experience of international nuclear facilities e.g. ANSTO, ICN Pitesti, Oak Ridge, Mol, as well as a UK wide perspective that covers aspects of nuclear from its history, economics, policy, safety and regulation together with the technical understanding of reactor physics, thermal hydraulics, materials, fuel cycle, waste and decommissioning and new reactor designs. These individuals will have the skill set to lead the industry forward and make the UK competitive in a global new build market worth an estimated £1.2tn. Equally important is reducing the costs of future UK projects e.g. Wylfa, Sizewell C by 30%, to allow the industry and new build programme to grow, which will be worth £75bn domestically and employ tens of thousands per project.

We will deliver a series of bespoke training courses, including on-line e-learning courses, in Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Waste and Decommissioning; Policy and Regulation; Nuclear Safety Management; Materials for Reactor Systems, Innovation in Nuclear Technology; Reactor Operation and Design and Responsible Research. These courses can be used more widely than just the CDT educating students in other CDTs with a need for nuclear skills, other university courses related to nuclear energy and possibly for industry as continual professional development courses and will impact the proposed Level 8 Apprenticeship schemes the nuclear industry are pursuing to fill the high level skills gap.

The CDT will deliver world-class research in a broad field of nuclear disciplines and disseminate this work through outreach to the public and media, international conferences, published journal articles and conference proceedings. It will produce patents where appropriate and deliver impact through start-up companies, aided by Imperial Innovations, who have a track record of turning research ideas into real solutions. By working and listening to industry, and through the close relationships supervisory staff have with industrial counterparts, we can deliver projects that directly impact on the business of the sponsors and their research strategies. There is already a track record of this in the current CDT in both fission and fusion fields. For example there is a student (Richard Pearson) helping Tokamak Energy engage with new technologies as part of his PhD in the ICO CDT and as a result Tokamak Energy are offering the new CDT up to 5 studentships.

Another impact we expect is an increasing number of female students in the CDT who will impact the industry as future leaders to help the nuclear sector reach its target of 40% by 2030.
The last major impact of the CDT will be in its broadening scope from the previous CDT. The nuclear industry needs to embrace innovation in areas such as big data analytics and robotics to help it meet its cost reduction targets and the CDT will help the industry engage with these areas e.g. through the Bristol robotics hub or Big Data Institute at Imperial.

All this will be delivered at a remarkable value to both government and the industry with direct funding from industry matching the levels of investment from EPSRC.