Special Session: Ceramic and crystalline waste forms (organised by Nina Huittinen, HZDR, Dresden, Germany)

Ceramic and crystalline materials are key components in the nuclear fuel cycle and they may play an important role in future envisioned waste management technologies. In addition, crystalline solid phases are likely to be generated in-situ during long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel or other high-level waste streams following corrosion of the primary waste form. For this session, we welcome contributions addressing novel synthesis strategies of ceramics and crystalline materials, their characterization using computational and experimental approaches, and studies addressing chemical and physical properties of crystalline materials. Particular emphasis is placed on assessing their long-term stability, dissolution behavior, and radiation tolerance over extended timeperiods. The session will include contributions from a German national project “AcE” (Actinide immobilization by incorporation into solid phases relevant for final disposal) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Central topics of the AcE project are directly related to the session topics and involve the development of synthesis strategies for primarily An(IV)-doped solid phases such as zirconates (ZrO2 and Ln2Zr2O7), UO2, and monazite type orthophosphates (LnPO4), their structural characterization, and assessment of material performance following irradiation. Our invited speaker Prof. Nicolas Dacheux will open the session on ceramic and crystalline materials.