MS&T’08 Technical Program

Ceramics and Glass for Waste Minimization, Stabilization, and Disposition
This symposium will focus on the use of ceramics and glass in the disposition of nuclear and hazardous wastes. With the renewed interest in nuclear power generation and fuel reprocessing in the United States and worldwide, processing, properties and testing of traditional glass and cementitious materials need to be expanded to meet the future needs of the nuclear and hazardous waste industries. Topics will include the use of mature immobilization techniques such as vitrification, and the role of cementitious materials in both the stabilization of waste and the containment of wasteforms. Other low temperature waste forms such as hydroceramics and geopolymers are also of interest. The symposium will feature new and innovative applications of materials and materials processes. Alternative waste form materials and processing methods will be highlighted. Additional topics include waste form development, characterization, process approaches and implementation. This symposium will offer the opportunity to expand the discussion of the role of amorphous and cementitious materials to a wider audience across the entire environmental and cements industries. This symposium is cosponsored by the ACerS Cements Division and the International Commission on Glass–Technical Committee on Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Vitrification.

Topics:

• Waste form performance (durability/leachability)
• Mechanical properties
• Vitrification of hazardous waste
• Vitrification of troublesome components
• Advanced vitrification technology development
• Ceramic/metallic waste forms
• Long-term/accelerated testing
• Materials for waste form containment

Organizer: Alex Cozzi, Savannah River National Laboratory; Co-organizers: Kevin Fox, Elizabeth Hoffman, and James Marra, Savannah River National Laboratory; Pepa Matyas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Chris Musick, Bechtel National Incorporated; Zachary Grasley, Texas A&M University

Energy Materials
Increasing awareness of environmental factors and limited energy resources have led to a profound evolution in the way we view the generation and supply of energy. The most pronounced breakthroughs are currently taking place for technologies using renewable energy sources. The use of these technologies requires reliable and effective ways of storing energy, and exciting developments are occurring in the fields of e.g. hydrogen storage, rechargeable batteries, solar cells, thermoelectricity, capacitors, superconductivity; materials issues related to biomass and biotechnology; nuclear power generation; future technologies for fossil energy and renewable power. The objective of this symposium is to bring scientists and engineers from industry, academia and research institutions and to discuss on what materials-based solutions can offer and to understand how the improvement of chemical and physical properties of these materials can improve the current energy systems and lead to energy alternatives that can compete with existing technologies

Topics:

• Solar energy materials
• Batteries
• Thermoelectric materials
• Nuclear materials
• Superconductors
• Energy storage
• Characterization techniques
• Other energy materials and technologies

Organizer: Fatih Dogan, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Co-organizers: M. Awano, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; W. Huebner, Missouri University of Science and Technology; D. Singh, Argonne National Laboratory

Frontiers in Materials Science: Closing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
New nuclear power plants are in the planning stages throughout the world. Spent nuclear fuel consists of about 96% uranium dioxide and the spectrum of elements produced by fission and neutron absorption. The energy potential of spent nuclear fuel currently stored in the United States is equal to that contained in about six billion barrels of oil. The future of nuclear power will depend heavily on the development and implementation of spent-fuel treatment and transmutation technologies to enhance the performance of proposed high-level waste repositories and reduce the cost of geologic disposal. Transmutation is the conversion of actinides and fission products from spent nuclear fuel into shorter lived isotopes; consequently the waste is less hazardous and easier to dispose of. Expansion of the nuclear industry will eventually require this closing of the fuel cycle.
 
This goal will be pursued in the near term by increased use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuels to utilize plutonium in light water reactors. In the longer term, development of fuels containing large amounts of other actinides in addition to plutonium is a possible route to both power production and waste disposition. The development of new actinide burning systems will require the development and qualification of new fuel matrices and compositions. Fast spectrum reactors will be much more efficient at burning actinides than are light water reactors. In addition to fuels, the development of a new generation of fast reactors requires specialized structural and control materials.

Topics:

• Improved nuclear fuels
• Actinide separations
• Separate management of fission product elements
• Transmutation processes

Organizers: James Earthman, University of California – Irvine; Robert Hanrahan, NNSA; Co-organizers: R.G. Reddy and S. Viswanathan, The University of Alabama; M.A. Rigdon, Institute for Defense Analyses; D. Chandra, University of Nevada - Reno

Fuel Cells: Materials, Processing, Manufacturing, Balance of Plant and Systems Operation
Energy security, global environmental concerns, and increased need for efficient stationary and mobile power generation technologies drive the development and deployment of advanced fuel cell power generation systems such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC), direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), and others. Cross-cutting in nature, the electrochemical conversion systems remain instrumental for the success of major national initiatives such as Future Gen, Clear Sky, and Freedom Car. Fuel cell systems also bridge the gap between today’s combustion-based power generation systems and tomorrows “Hydrogen Economy.” Fuel cells offer significantly higher chemical to electrical conversion efficiency, negligible or no or low exhaust pollutants, and multi-fuel capability, depending on the types of fuel cells. Successful development and deployment of cost effective fuel cell systems require in-depth understanding of the fundamental electrochemical processes, development of novel materials, thermodynamics, and kinetics, knowledge of materials science principles, identification and development of cost effective large scale manufacturing processes, engineering design and integration of the systems. Focus will be on recent developments in electrode processes, materials synthesis and characterization of various components, long term electrochemical performance and performance stability, first principles calculations and computational modeling, cost effective manufacturing, balance of plant, field demonstration, and commercialization. 

Topics:

• Fundamental electrochemical processes - electrode chemistry, kinetics, and degradation
• Novel fuel cell systems; materials, operation and applications
• Cell and stack component materials
• Corrosion, degradation and protection technologies 
• First principles calculation and computational modeling theory
• Balance of plant materials and design including heat exchangers, fuel processors, evaporators, combustors and instrumentation 
• Fuels and fuel processing including reformation of gaseous and liquid fuels, coal utilization including gasification and Impurity effects on cell performance, and sulfur removal technologies
• Low cost manufacturing processes
• Power electronics and utility grid applications
• Field experience

Organizer: Prabhakar Singh, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Co-organizers: W. Huebner, University of Missouri – Rolla; A. Azad, University of Toledo; D.C. Collins, U.S. Department of Energy; P. Kumta, Carnegie Mellon University; C. Legzdins, Ballard Power Systems; A. Manthiram, University of Texas; A. Manivannan, U.S. Department of Energy; S.K. Sundaram, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; G. Yang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Green Technologies for Materials Manufacturing and Processing
Sustainable development is globally recognized as a key issue for future society. Therefore, “green” or environmentally benign technology should be the focus for materials scientists and engineers. Generally two issues are substantially important; one is to avoid unnecessary use and generation of compounds directly hazardous to human health and the environment, such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. The other is to protect the global environment by preserving energy and conserving natural resources during the fabrication. The volumes of consumed raw materials, used energy (or emitted carbon dioxide), and disposed wastes are indicative of sustainability of the process. Keeping these two aspects in view, this symposium deals with a variety of green technologies related with materials manufacturing and processing, that are feasible in the industry. Topics to be discussed in this symposium include environmental impact of materials products and processes; development of alternative technologies; waste minimization technologies; and instrumentation development. Topics will also include the identification of green opportunities and/or up-front solutions to environmental problems in these or related processes as well as recent initiatives and developments in education in “green engineering.”

Topics:

• Environmental impact of materials products and processes
• Alternative manufacturing processes with lower environmental burden
• Nanotechnology for environmental remediation and protection
• Waste minimization and materials recycling technologies
• Education in green engineering
• Environmental monitoring and testing

Organizers:
Alex Cozzi, Savannah River National Laboratory; Tatsuki Ohji, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; Co-organizers: Allen Apblett, Oklahoma State University; Elizabeth Hoffman and Carol Jantzen, Savannah River National Laboratory; Mrityunjay Singh, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center; Richard D. Sisson, Jr., Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Materials and the Climate Change Challenge
Materials have formed the backbone of our social systems since the dawn of time. This is especially true in the present modern and post-modern economy, both in developed countries and in the new economies. In the face of the climate change challenge, materials have been painted as being part of the problem - and they will have indeed to reinvent new ways of being produced with less CO2 emissions, but they are also part of the solution - they will be central to the new economy that has to be invented for the future carbon-constrained world. The symposium proposes to create a forum to debate the actual footprint of materials, both the positive and the negative parts of it, today and in the longer term.

Topics:

• Carbon-lean material production
• Closed-loop material production and synergies between materials
• Materials in new, carbon-lean transportation systems
• Materials in new, carbon-lean housing concepts
• Methodology for evaluating the social value of materials, with a long-term perspective
• Structural materials and new materials in a climate change context
• Materials and biodiversity

Organizer: Jean-Pierre Birat, Arcelor Research; Co-organizer: Jean-Sébastien Thomas, Arcelor Research

Nanoscale Design of Materials for Extreme Radiation Environments
The expansion of the use of nuclear energy to address global energy demand and its environmental impact poses several materials science challenges. To advance next-generation nuclear technology, there is a pressing need to understand materials behavior in extreme environments of radiation, high temperature, special purpose fluids for heat transfer or neutronics, and stress. Such operating conditions place stringent demands on materials performance and require a fundamental understanding of materials science and chemistry to drive development of structural materials, nuclear fuels and waste forms. New research on nanoscale design is needed to develop novel materials that are more radiation tolerant than existing materials. An understanding of the interaction of defects with interfaces can help design nanostructures, such as fine precipitates in steels or multilayered materials, to control defect production and enhance defect annihilation. The aim of this symposium is to bring together scientists studying radiation damage in all classes of materials including metals, ceramics, polymers and semiconductors to develop insights into fundamental mechanisms governing radiation tolerance. The symposium will highlight similarities and differences across materials classes and facilitate exchange of ideas between experimenters, theoreticians, and modelers.

Topics:

• Nanoscale design of materials for radiation tolerance – fundamentals
• Irradiation experience with nanotailored metallic and non-metallic materials in comparison to conventional materials
• Radiation damage in nanostructured materials - predictive modeling and simulation
• Potential applications of nanostructured materials in nuclear energy systems

Organizer: Indrajit Charit, University of Idaho; Co-organizers: R. Devanathan, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; L.W. Hobbs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; K.L. Murty, North Carolina State University; L.K. Mansur, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Thermoelectric Materials: Science, Technology and Applications
This symposium attempts to bring the multidisciplinary researchers on one platform to share the research in thermoelectric materials and thermoelectrics. The symposium will have a strong emphasis on emerging areas exploring new classes of materials with potentially higher thermoelectric figure of merit. In particular, novel synthesis approaches of bulk materials, thin films, superlattices, nanostructured materials will be highlighted, as well as new spectroscopy and in situ characterization and modeling of materials and thermoelectric responses at the nanoscale. Theoretical studies of transport properties, crystal chemistry of materials, thermodynamic analysis and energy transferring processes will be included. The symposium will also cover recent advances in metrology, technology and application of thermoelectric materials. Work on thermoelectric device innovations will be highlighted that would lead to the next generation thermoelectric refrigeration and power generation applications.

Organizer: Qiang Li, Brookhaven National Laboratory; Co-organizers: W. Wong-Ng, National Institute of Standards and Technology; T.M. Tritt, Clemson University; G.S. Nolas, University of South Florida