MAT433 Particle Engineering in the Nuclear Industry

Aims/Description: The understanding of particulate systems is of great importance to the modern nuclear industry from fuel manufacture, reactor coolant flows, and waste management. For example, during the clean-up and decommissioning of nuclear sites particle science challenges are often encountered; no greater challenge than the safe processing and long-term storage of legacy wastes (particulate sludges and slurries). Understanding how particles behave in these systems is fundamental to their performance and an ability to control particle interactions creates opportunity to manipulate the rheology (flow), separation and particle consolidation in wet and dry systems. This module introduces methods to characterize particle properties, size, shape, roughness and surface charge to name just a few, and explains how those properties affect the physical response of bulk fluids (slurries) and powders. Lectures will be complemented by problem-based learning activities and laboratory practicals which are designed to validate the theoretical and empirical learning outcomes of the module. The laboratory practicals will be conducted in the new flow facilities at the University of Leeds and will use a range of instruments that are typically deployed on nuclear sites.

Staff Contact: STENNETT MARTIN C

Assessment: Course work

Information on the department responsible for this unit (Materials Science and Engineering):

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Teaching timetable

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Teaching methods and assessment displayed on this page are indicative for 2025-26.