A new collaborative research paper between collaboration between the University of Bristol, the University of Sheffield and Diamond Light Source has been published in Nature journal of Materials Degradation.
The paper, entitled Investigating the mechanical behaviour of Fukushima MCCI using synchrotron X-ray tomography and digital volume correlation, investigates the mechanical and physical properties of simulant nuclear meltdown material from Fukushima Daiichi. The paper is available open access and can be viewed here.
New paper from our superb collaboration with @SWNuclearHub! Led by Dr. Haris Paraskevoulakos & using @DiamondLightSou, our paper in @Nature_NPJ #Materials #Degradation tests the mechanical properties of simulant #nuclear meltdown material from #Fukushima. https://t.co/EhLuuH4IYx pic.twitter.com/0XOxGiG3ZK
— Prof Claire Corkhill (@clairecorkhill) July 7, 2022
Determining the currently unknown, physical and mechanical properties of MCCI (Molten Core-Concrete Interaction) currently in the basement of the damaged nuclear reactor Units 1–3 is essential for the decommissioning process.
The tsunami that engulfed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011 resulted in the loss of coolant that partially melted the boiling water reactor Units 1–3. The subsequent rise in temperature, to over 2000 °C, melting together fuel, cladding and other materials into a glass-ceramic mixture. This MCCI still requires daily cooling to enable the reprocessing and remediation process.