Sunday 25 May 2014

NNL has been awarded a prestigious prize at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Awards 2011. The Lab won ‘Chemical Engineering Project of the Year’ for development work on Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) for processing plutonium residues.The HIP process delivers a technology to immobilise wastes and residues in a form that would be suitable for safe interim storage and ultimate disposal in a UK geological disposal facility. These wastes and residues contain levels of plutonium for which recovery and reuse is uneconomic.The NNL HIP process project has developed durable plutonium-containing glass ceramic waste formulations that successfully mimic natural minerals such as zirconolite that persist over many millions of years. Small scale active trials have demonstrated exceptional durability. The successful application of the project would increase the options available for the immobilisation of similar wastes arising on the Sellafield and other UK sites.

NNL has an ongoing relationship with IChemE, which is the global professional membership organisation for those looking to Achieve Chartered Chemical Engineer status. The IChemE Awards recognise and reward chemical engineering innovation and excellence. Now in their 18th year, the awards celebrate individual and team achievement and are recognised throughout the international chemical, process and biochemical engineering community.

The Awards page can be found here.

Picture: From left to right – Hugh Dennis, Charlie Scales (NNL), Ewan Maddrell (NNL) and Paul Haworth (Sellafield Ltd)