ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Effect of Fe on Borosilicate Glass Structure
Abstract: The UK and other countries immobilise radioactive waste from spent fuel reprocessing in borosilicate glass. Understanding the long-term behaviour of these glassy wasteforms under aqueous conditions provides underpinning science for their safe storage and eventual disposal. Iron (Fe) is a key constituent of nuclear waste glass, and can have a significant effect on glass structure, and therefore its aqueous durability. The effect of Fe depends on its valence state, coordination and amount relative to other glass forming elements. Experiments have shown that increasing additions of Fe to UK high level waste glass frit led first to a slight increase in glass dissolution rate (up to 1 mol % Fe) and then to a significant decrease once the concentration of Fe reached 2.5 mol %. Analysis by Raman spectroscopy suggested that the addition of Fe (as Fe(III)) led to changes in the silica network connectivity and a change in boron coordination from trigonal boron to tetrahedral boron. However, interference from Fe peaks created uncertainty in Raman and paramagnetism affected subsequent NMR analysis. Neutron diffraction, conducted on B-11 doped glasses, will support conclusions reached by laboratory based techniques by providing supporting evidence for changing boron coordination with increasing Fe.
Principal Investigator: Dr Clare Thorpe
Experimenter: Miss Eperke Rencz
Local Contact: Dr Oliver Alderman
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2600041
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2600041
| Part DOI | Instrument | Public release date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2600041-1 | SANDALS | 22 September 2029 | Download |
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
[doi]
For Example:
Dr Clare Thorpe et al; (2026): Effect of Fe on Borosilicate Glass Structure , STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2600041
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
