New Zirconolite (Cazrti207) Based Glass-Ceramics For The Conditioning Of Long-Lived Nuclear Waste (In French)

Research are currently performed in different countries concerning new specific matrices designed for the immobilization of long-lived radionuclides (such as plutonium and minor actinides; neptunium, americium and curium) originating either from an enhanced reprocessing of nuclear spent fuel or from excess weapons plutonium waste. For this purpose, glass-ceramic waste forms are good candidates if they consist of a highly durable crystalline phase homogeneously dispersed in a glassy matrix exhibiting also a very good chemical durability and an excellent self irradiation behaviour.