Synroc, a portmanteau from "synthetic rock", is a possible means of safely storing and disposing of radioactive waste. It was invented in 1978 by a team led by Dr Ted Ringwood at the Australian National University, with further research being undertaken in collaboration with ANSTO with research laboratories at Lucas Heights. This article is about blends. ... Radioactive waste are waste types containing radioactive chemical elements that do not have a practical purpose. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Alfred Edward Ted Ringwood FRS (19 April 1930 - 12 November 1993) was an Australian geologist. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is a statutory body of the of the Australian government, formed in 1987 to replace the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. ... Lucas Heights is a suburb in Sydney, Australia. ...

Unlike borosilicate glass, which is amorphous, Synroc is a ceramic that incorporates the radioactive waste into its crystal structure. Naturally occurring rocks can store radioactive materials for very long times. The aims of the SYNROC project were to imitate this by converting liquid into a crystalline structure and use it as a way of storing radioactive waste. If stored in a liquid form, the waste can enter the environment and the waterways causing widespread damage. As a solid, these risks are greatly minimised. Different types of synroc have been developed for the immobilisation of different types of waste. It has been suggested that Kimax be merged into this article or section. ... Wax and paraffin are amorphous. ... Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos). ... Enargite crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ...

Problems with this method of disposing of radioactive waste include the fact that that the synroc still has to be stored, often underground. Even though the waste is held in a solid lattice and prevented from spreading, it is still radioactive and can have a negative effect on its surroundings.

Although it has not yet experienced commercial use, in April of 2005, the process was chosen for a multi-million dollar "demonstration" contract to eliminate five tonnes of plutonium-contaminated waste at British Nuclear Fuel's Sellafield plant, on the northwest coast of England. General Name, Symbol, Number plutonium, Pu, 94 Chemical series actinides Group, Period, Block n/a, 7, f Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight (244) g·mol−1 Electron configuration [Rn] 5f6 7s2 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ... Categories: Government of the UK | Stub ... The Sellafield facility on the Cumbrian coast, United Kingdom Sellafield is the name of a nuclear site, close to the village and railway station of Seascale, operated by Sellafield Ltd, but owned since 1 April 2005 by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Nuclear Issues Briefing on Synroc
• Canberra Observer report on 2005 contract