An international initiative on long-term behavior of high-level nuclear waste glass

Nations producing borosilicate glass as an immobilization material for radioactive wastes resulting from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing have reinforced scientific collaboration to obtain consensus on mechanisms controlling the long-term dissolution rate of glass. This goal is deemed to be crucial for the development of reliable performance assessment models for geological disposal. The collaborating laboratories all conduct fundamental and/or applied research with modern materials science techniques. The paper briefly reviews the radioactive waste vitrification programmes of the six participant nations and summarizes the state-of-the-art of glass corrosion science, emphasizing common scientific needs and justifications for on-going initiatives.