Hydrothermal treatment of cement backfill as a method for accelerated cement aging

Cement-based materials are currently used to encapsulate intermediate-level radioactive wastes and may also be used as an engineered backfill around such wastes within a deep geological disposal facility. Knowledge of how the phases in the hardened cements evolve with age is important for the development of predictive models for long-term performance. This project will involve the hydrothermal treatment and characterization of (i) extant samples of the current candidate backfill material and of (ii) a synthetic analogue of the main phase that is present in that material. The synthetic analogue will be prepared by the student using a novel method that was developed in a previous project. The characterization will involve a number of sophisticated experimental techniques, including analytical transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The work will NOT involve radioactive material. The project is sponsored by Radioactive Waste Management Limited, and some of the experimental work will be conducted at the laboratories of the British Geological Survey.