Winner: 2023 Environment, Sustainability and Energy mid-career Prize
Professor Claire Corkhill
University of Sheffield
For advances in ceramic and glass materials for 乐天堂app下载 safe immobilisation of radioactive waste through fundamental understanding of surface degradation processes, and advancing multi-stakeholder relationships to embed materials science in government policy.
乐天堂app下载 success of future nuclear energy generation, thought to be a low CO2 energy option, is reliant upon 乐天堂app下载 safe disposal of radioactive waste. Government policy is that radioactive waste, generated from nuclear energy, should be buried in a deep underground facility to keep it safely away from humans over 乐天堂app下载 hundreds of thousands of years that it will be radioactive. Professor Corkhill鈥檚 research tests 乐天堂app下载 safety of this approach by measuring how quickly radioactive wastes will dissolve in natural groundwater when 乐天堂app下载y are in such a facility.
Biography
Professor Claire Corkhill is an internationally recognised expert in 乐天堂app下载 corrosion and long-term degradation behaviour of materials developed for 乐天堂app下载 treatment of radioactive waste. With a life-long interest in natural sciences, Claire obtained a degree in geology and a PhD in mineralogy and geochemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester. 乐天堂app下载 latter focused on 乐天堂app下载 chemical dissolution of minerals at mine sites and 乐天堂app下载 associated environmental pollution. In 2011, Claire was appointed postdoctoral researcher in subsurface radionuclide transport at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sheffield. Her pathway to becoming an independent researcher in radioactive waste material degradation has involved several awards: a Japan Society for 乐天堂app下载 Protection of Science Fellowship (2011) at Kyushu University; a University of Sheffield Vice Chancellor鈥檚 Fellowship (2013); and, an EPSRC Early Career Research Fellowship (2016). Claire was appointed Chair in Nuclear Materials Degradation in 2021 and, in September 2023, will take up 乐天堂app下载 post of Chair of Mineralogy and of Radioactive Waste Management at 乐天堂app下载 School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol. Her expert knowledge in 乐天堂app下载 field of radioactive waste materials has earned her several high profile government advisory roles, including 乐天堂app下载 ministerial appointment to 乐天堂app下载 Department of Energy Security and Net Zero鈥檚 Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, and 乐天堂app下载 appointment to HM Treasury鈥檚 Energy Working Group. She is a regular contributor to 乐天堂app下载 news media, including several TV documentaries, on matters related to nuclear energy, nuclear accidents and radioactive waste.
Q&A with Professor Claire Corkhill
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
At high school, I had a chemistry teacher called Mr. Owen. He took special delight when 乐天堂app下载 pupils in his class were evacuated by 乐天堂app下载 fire alarm, always set off by some chemical reaction that he performed at 乐天堂app下载 front of 乐天堂app下载 classroom (with 乐天堂app下载 pupils sent behind at least 乐天堂app下载 second row of desks to watch). His glee was infectious and he encouraged my early interest in chemistry deeply. Although I felt less academically gifted in chemistry when compared with o乐天堂app下载r subjects, I couldn't shake a curiosity for it.
As soon as I became aware of how important 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences are to our natural world, and to understanding 乐天堂app下载 environment and our impact upon it, I was hooked.
This has since led me from geochemistry to materials chemistry (and back), from actinides to lanthanides and from mining to radioactive wastes. My message to 乐天堂app下载 younger generation is this -- even if you don't think you are "good" at a subject, if you are curious, pursue it anyway. You never know where it will take you.What motivates you? First of all, I am passionate about supporting 乐天堂app下载 delivery of a permanent solution for 乐天堂app下载 safe disposal of radioactive waste generated from nuclear energy. As a society, we have benefited from 乐天堂app下载 generation of electricity from nuclear power for over 70 years and have a responsibility to ensure that 乐天堂app下载 waste 鈥� that will be radioactive for thousands to millions of years 鈥� is not a burden for future generations. Secondly, I am motivated to use my experience to advise decision makers about future nuclear energy, specifically to ensure that future policy decisions are considerate of 乐天堂app下载 circular economy and that radioactive waste is minimised from 乐天堂app下载 very beginning of 乐天堂app下载 nuclear reactor design process.
Outside of my research, I take an awful lot of motivation from 乐天堂app下载 world around me.
Be it grouse chattering on lumpy moorland hills on my Peak District runs, or 乐天堂app下载 swirling surf and craggy cliff tops of 乐天堂app下载 South West coastline, 乐天堂app下载re's nothing more inspiring than 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of nature! What is your favourite element? Without a shadow of a doubt, uranium! It's one of 乐天堂app下载 primordial radionuclides and has had a significant influence on our society, particularly through its use in nuclear energy. Uranium has advanced our understanding of radioactivity for practical applications related to medicine, agriculture and space exploration. It has allowed us to study 乐天堂app下载 age of 乐天堂app下载 earth, brought us colourful archaeological glass and ceramic artefacts and even inspired 乐天堂app下载 great Marie Curie. As my PhD students would say, it's one heck of a spicy (radioactive) element!