EMCEM – Emerging Supplementary Cementitious Materials for Nuclear Safety Sector

Cement-based systems play a critical role in modern world. They are not only used in construction sector as the main binder of concrete but also in other sectors, such as nuclear. Within nuclear sector, cement-based systems can be used as technical barrier in disposal repositories, as structural concretes, and as matrix for solidification and immobilization purposes of low and intermediate radioactive wastes (LILW). Ensuring the long-term performance and reliability of cementitious systems is essential from the point of nuclear safety and radioactive waste management.

In recent decades, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concretes has steadily increased, driven by sustainability goals and performance benefits. SCMs have also been used within nuclear sector for both of these reasons. In Finland, the most well-known and widely utilized SCM is ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) from steel industry. As the steel industry is facing the pressure to transfer their processes to more environmentally friendly versions, there is increased need to identify and validate alternative SCMs also for nuclear sector.

The EMCEM project addresses this challenge by investigating emerging SCMs for nuclear sector relevant concretes, with a particular focus on their performance in the solidification of radionuclide-containing spent ion-exchange resins. In addition to technical performance, practical factors such as cost, availability, and applicability of the SCMs will be considered. Advanced materials science techniques will be used to assess fresh and hardened state properties, as well as long-term durability.