Abstract
All materials can suffer from environmental degradation; the rate and extent of degradation depend on the details of the material composition and structure as well as the environment. The corrosion of silicate glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals, particularly as related to nuclear waste forms, has received a lot of attention. The corrosion phenomena and mechanisms of these materials are different, but also have many similarities. This review compares and contrasts the mechanisms of environmental degradation of glass, crystalline ceramics, and metals, with the goal of identifying commonalities that can seed synergistic activities and advance the current knowledge in each area.
Highlights
New research activity focused on the environmental degradation of silicate glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals relevant to nuclear waste forms and containers has recently been described.[1]
One of the commonalities associated with the corrosion of glasses, ceramics, and metals is the formation of a thin surface layer, called an alteration layer or a passivating film, which may provide protection from environmental degradation
Oxide glass, crystalline ceramics, and metals have different structure, bonding, and different composition, yet they all can degrade upon exposure to an aqueous environment
Summary
New research activity focused on the environmental degradation of silicate glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals relevant to nuclear waste forms and containers has recently been described.[1]. The major redox couples are O2/H2O due to the abundance and reactivity of O2, MnO2/Mn2+, Fe(OH)3/Fe2+ under sub-oxic conditions and SO42−/H2S or SO42−/HS− under anoxic conditions.[132] For ceramics and minerals containing variable valency experience morphological instability upon drying and dehydra- elements such as transition metals (e.g., Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Tc), tion, e.g., in feldspar, leading to cracks and delamination from the actinides (e.g., U, Pu), and S, As, and Se, dissolution and crystal surface.[128] The spallation of the alteration layer from the precipitation of solid phases typically accompanies the change underlying material may be important for the weathering of of oxidation state, which in turn impacts material solubility and minerals exposed to wet and dry cycles It is not clearly described dissolution rate. The transformation of a passivating film to new phases may lead to accelerated corrosion similar to the stage III in glass corrosion due to increased solution transport in the newly formed crystalline film
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