Abstract
As this proceedings issue reaches print, a year will have passed since nuclear waste corrosion experts gathered in a glass-walled conference room, far above the busy streets of downtown Toronto. This meeting marked the sixth triennial assembly of the long-term prediction of corrosion damage in nuclear waste systems workshop, that is, the ‘ʻLTC’. The overarching goal of the LTC workshop series is to facilitate a regular exchange of ideas between far-flung corrosion experts and it can be said without reservation that the latest incarnation of the meeting held true to this objective. Indeed, the Canadian locale grew the tally of host countries to five, following previous meetings in Belgium (2010), France (2001, 2004), Japan (2013), and the USA (2007). The meeting also saw new participation from the Czech Republic, Israel, and Taiwan, raising the number of represented nations to fifteen. Moreover, the event was co-sponsored by the European Federation of Corrosion as EFC Event No. 403. Finally, the European Commission's Implementing Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Technology Platform (IGD-TP) scheduled an information sharing session with its members to coincide with the LTC. A summary of this meeting is included in these proceedings.
As in previous years, the majority of the presenters discussed design and performance aspects of high-level waste and spent fuel container materials. These discussions were dominated by the behaviour of copper and carbon steel, although there were several interesting talks on titanium alloys. The corrosion of copper continued to be popular topic at this meeting, with significant new interest in the impact of γ-radiation, radiolysis, and the stress corrosion cracking behaviour of carbon steel. Additionally, a number of talks and posters focused on the storage and disposal of intermediate-level waste or the corrosion behaviour of various waste forms. As always, a mix of experimental and modelling studies were presented.
The composition of the meeting was a diverse group of university scientists, waste management organisation researchers, representatives from government regulators and review boards, and professional consultants. For the first time, a student poster competition was held. The prize winners were Charly Carrière, Taylor Martino, and Joseph Turnbull, who were invited to give short oral presentations of their work. We eagerly anticipate continuing this new tradition at the next LTC meeting, which will be held in Nancy, France in November 2019.
The meeting culminated with a field trip to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's prototype and full-scale demonstration facility in nearby Oakville, Ontario. After a morning of technical discussions and a cheerful barbecue, attendees were rewarded with an afternoon at Niagara Falls and a final networking opportunity over dinner in the Niagara countryside.
We graciously acknowledge the conference sponsors: Ontario Power Generation, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. We also thank Chris Hatton for his leadership and support for hosting in Toronto.
Finally, it is with great pleasure that we present these completed workshop proceedings.