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Assessing microbially influenced corrosion of titanium as novel canister material for geological disposal facilities
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Mar Morales-Hidalgo ,
Cristina Povedano-Priego,
Lidia Generelo-Casajus ,
Fadwa Jroundi,
Lorna Anguilano,
Uchechukwu Onwukwe ,
Philip H.E. Gardiner,
Mohamed L. Merroun,
Yon Ju-Nam ,
Jesus Ojeda Ledo
Applied Surface Science, Volume: 717, Start page: 164779
Swansea University Authors:
Adam Mumford, Yon Ju-Nam , Jesus Ojeda Ledo
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.164779
Abstract
In response to the growing global inventory of nuclear waste and the urgent need for secure long-term disposal solutions, geological disposal facilities (GDFs), also known as deep geological repositories, are being pursued worldwide. Several national programmes, including those in the UK, Japan, and...
| Published in: | Applied Surface Science |
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| ISSN: | 0169-4332 1873-5584 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2026
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70549 |
| Abstract: |
In response to the growing global inventory of nuclear waste and the urgent need for secure long-term disposal solutions, geological disposal facilities (GDFs), also known as deep geological repositories, are being pursued worldwide. Several national programmes, including those in the UK, Japan, and Canada, are evaluating corrosion-resistant alloys for waste canisters. Among these, novel materials such as titanium alloys have emerged as promising candidates due to their protective TiO₂ films. However, the threat of microbial corrosion under repository-relevant conditions remains highly unexplored. To address this, titanium discs (grade 2, ASTM B348) were incubated in bentonite slurries with synthetic pore-water at 30 °C and 60 °C under strictly anoxic, dark conditions, mimicking deep underground GDF environments. Electron donors (acetate, lactate) and an electron acceptor (sulphate) were added to stimulate microbial activity and assess long-term canister performance. All titanium samples retained an intact TiO₂ layer with no detectable pitting or localised damage. Microscopic (SEM) and spectroscopic (XPS) analyses showed slight thinning of titanium oxide films and microbial presence co-located with bentonite, but no evidence of corrosion products or metal loss. Micro-FTIR showed functional groups associated with microbial presence (proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides) in the bentonite, but not on titanium surfaces. The experimental design aimed to promote bacterial activity to simulate worst-case GDF biotic conditions.These findings demonstrate titanium’s exceptional stability against microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) in stimulated GDF-like environments. This study supports the structural viability of titanium canisters for nuclear waste disposal and underscores the importance of considering microbial factors in long-term corrosion assessments. |
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| Keywords: |
Corrosion; Titanium; Nuclear Waste; Geological Disposal Facilities (GDFs); Microbially Influenced Corrosion (MIC); H2S |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
MLM acknowledges funds from grant PID2022\u2013138402NB-C21 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF. In addition, this work was funded by EURAD 1 & 2 initiatives under H2020-EURATOM (grant agreements 847593 and 101166718) awarded to MLM. MMH acknowledges support from grant FPU20/00583 from the Spanish Ministry of Universities. ADM acknowledges funding from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) DTP scholarship (project reference: 2748843). |
| Start Page: |
164779 |