The aqueous corrosion of nuclear waste glasses revisited: Probing the surface and interfacial phenomena

This article reviewed the current state of knowledge of glass aqueous corrosion mechanism with a focus on the contribution of modern characterization tools. A general consensus on the interaction of glass and aqueous medium was discussed. Particularly, the comparison between diffusion controlled corrosion and the interfacial-dissolution-and-reprecipitation mechanism is presented in order to identify the key issues or unknowns in the glass corrosion community. Electron microscope based techniques, chemical depth profiling techniques, and measurement of metrological properties were reviewed from contemporary studies of glass corrosion. In addition, newly-developed characterization techniques that being used in glass corrosion studies were reviewed and discussed.