Nuclear Energy Reimagined: Securing a Sustainable Future Through Safe Waste Disposal
Talk given by
Dr. Xiaolei Guo
Abstract
The use of nuclear energy inevitably produces nuclear waste as a byproduct of fission reactions. Depending on the reactor's initial fuel composition and burnup levels, the resulting nuclear waste can vary significantly in its chemistry. This waste typically encompasses a wide range of radioactivity and half-lives, making its effective management one of the most critical challenges for global nuclear energy. In this presentation, I will discuss several key materials and strategies for the safe immobilization and disposal of highly hazardous nuclear waste. Additionally, I will describe a critical degradation mechanism involving near-field interactions among the various materials used in waste packages.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Xiaolei Guo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. He is a passionate corrosion scientist with over 15 years of experience in research on corrosion of metals, glass, and crystalline ceramics. After obtaining his Ph.D. degree, he served for six years as the deputy director of the WastePD center, a multi-institution, interdisciplinary Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US. Department of Energy. His recent research focuses on three folds: 1) developing advanced materials with excellent corrosion resistance in aggressive environments, 2) understanding the fundamental corrosion mechanisms of diverse materials by leveraging in situ/ex situ electrochemical techniques, advanced characterization, and physics- and machine-learning-based models, and 3) recycling important metals via high temperature electrochemistry and computational predictions. He is an Associate Editor of npj Materials Degradation. His research has received funding support from multiple government agencies and industrial partners.
Location and Time
Pietra's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant
9045 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
March 6, 2025 at 6:00pm.
PLEASE RSVP by March 3, 2025 by emailing asmrockymountain@gmail.com!
Meeting Schedule
5:30-6:00pm – Executive Committee Meeting
6:00-6:30pm – Social Time
6:30-7:15pm – Dinner
7:15-8:00pm – Speaker Presentation