Sim-Fuel and Alpha-Active Material Manufacturing and Characterisation Capability

这项提议的目的是提供关键设备，提供国际上独一无二的开放式学术能力，以制造、照射和检查一系列含有铀、钍、钚和其他反铀元素的阿尔法活性放射性材料的辐照前和辐照后的特性。该设备将是连接曼彻斯特大学约3500万GB现有核研究基础设施的关键，以便充分实现它们探索对核部门至关重要的广泛材料的能力。所需的具体设备是：1.聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜；2.扫描/透射式电子显微镜；以及3.一种用于样品制备的钚活性惰性气氛手套箱。到目前为止，只有在政府拥有的大型国家实验室设施中才有制造、照射和表征含铀和钚材料的能力。虽然这类设施对于研究非常活跃的样品和含有大量反铀元素的材料仍然至关重要，但能够处理千克量铀和克量钚的学术能力的提供将为更广泛的获取提供机会，并提供以费用和时间尺度进行高度详细和有洞察力的研究的手段，这在较大的核许可设施中是根本不可能的。新设备带来的科学和技术影响范围涵盖核燃料循环的所有范围，包括：更好地了解现有核燃料的性能，以提高安全性；为现有和下一代反应堆开发新的燃料材料；生产具有代表性的替代辐照燃料(即SimFuels)，以协助开发新的乏燃料回收技术；更好地了解铀和TRU材料在环境样本中的行为；以及更好地了解和开发有助于处置放射性废物的材料(例如固定化基质材料)。将鼓励所有这些社区的研究人员利用新设备提供的国际领先能力。除了为上述各种不同应用创造关于阿尔法发射放射性材料性能的主要知识外，这些设施还将在提供安全处理阿尔法活性材料的培训和教育方面发挥重要作用。这将为新一代博士后研究人员提供一系列技能，这些技能对于确保在今后几十年成功执行政府的核战略至关重要。

The aim of this proposal is to provide key equipment that will deliver an internationally-unique open-access academic capability to manufacture, irradiate, and examine the pre- and post-irradiation characteristics of a range of alpha-active radioactive materials containing uranium, thorium, and plutonium and other trans-uranic elements. This equipment will be pivotal in linking together around £35M of existing nuclear research infrastructure at the University of Manchester in order to fully realise their capabilities to explore a wide range of materials that are of critical importance to the nuclear sector.The specific equipment requested is:1. a Focussed Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope;2. a Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope; and3. a plutonium-active inert-atmosphere glove-box for sample preparation.Hitherto, the capability to manufacture, irradiate, and characterise uranium and plutonium containing materials has only been available within large government-owned national laboratory facilities. Whilst such facilities remain vital for research into very highly active samples and materials containing large quantities of trans-uranic elements, the availability of an academic capability that is able to work with kg-quantities of uranium and gram-quantities of plutonium will provide an opportunity for a far wider range of access, and the means to undertake highly detailed and insightful studies at costs and time-scales that are simply not possible within larger nuclear-licensed facilities.The range of science and technology impacts enabled by the new equipment cover the full spectrum of the nuclear fuel cycle, and include: improved understanding of the performance of existing nuclear fuels to improve safety; the development of new fuel materials for existing and next-generation reactors; the production of representative surrogate irradiated fuels (i.e. SimFuels) to assist in the development of new recycle technologies for spent fuel; improved understanding of the behaviour of U and TRU-bearing materials within environmental samples; and improved understanding and development of materials to facilitate the disposal of radioactive wastes (e.g. immobilisation matrix materials). Researchers from all of these communities will be encouraged to access the internationally-leading capability that the new equipment provides.In addition to creating a major body of knowledge on the performance of alpha-emitting radioactive materials for the variety of different applications mentioned above, the facilities will play a major role in providing training and education in the safe handling of alpha-active materials. This will provide a new generation of post-doctoral researchers with a range of skills that will be vital in ensuring the successful implementation of the Government's nuclear strategy in the coming decades.