| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300335 | Coordination Chemistry Reviews | 2014 | 14 Pages |
•Spectroscopic, structural and theoretical methods for characterisation uranyl minerals reviewed.•Reactivity of uranyl minerals towards common fission products reviewed.•Reactivity of uranyl minerals towards transuranics, especially Np, reviewed.
The storage of spent nuclear fuels for long periods of time in geological repositories is one proposed solution to the stewardship of legacy, current and future nuclear waste. Recent studies have shown that UO2, the major component of spent nuclear fuel, can oxidise under repository conditions to a number of secondary phases. The weathering of naturally occurring uranium minerals can give an insight into the behaviour of SNF and this review highlights the structural and spectroscopic characterisation of a number of relevant minerals. Conversely, reducing conditions could also be possible and these phase alterations are also discussed. Furthermore, the interaction of these minerals with the common fission products caesium, strontium, technetium, iodine, selenium and the transuranic elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) is reviewed, as these minerals may provide a mechanism for the retardation of the mobility of these radioisotopes.
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