Dr Martin C Stennett
BSc(Hons) MSc PhD
University Teaching Associate in Nuclear Materials Chemistry
Address:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 5504
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5943
Email: m.c.stennett@sheffield.ac.uk
Martin Stennett joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2004, as a PDRA, and in 2010 he was appointed to the role of University Teaching Associate in Nuclear Materials Chemistry. Martin was awarded his PhD from The University of Sheffield in 2004, with a thesis entitled “Structure property relations in tetragonal tungsten bronze-structured dielectric ceramics“. He graduated from The University of Nottingham in 1999 with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and Molecular Physics and from The University of Sheffield in 2000 with an MSc in Ceramic Science and Engineering.
Research interests
Structure-property relations in fluorite related metal oxides
Research is focussed on the synthesis and characterisation of oxide based fluorite and fluorite-related ceramic for applications in nuclear waste immobilisation. Characterisation techniques used include X-ray and electron diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Properties of interest include chemical durability and tolerance to radiation damage.
Immobilisation of problematic radio-nuclides
Research is focussed on the design, processing and characterisation of tailored ceramic and glass wasteforms for the immobilisation of problematic long-lived radio-nuclides such as 129I, 14C, 99Tc, plutonium and uranium.
Application of novel processing techniques to ceramic and glass synthesis
Research is focussed on the application of techniques such as molten salt mediated synthesis and microwave dielectric heating to the processing of glasses and ceramics for a wide range of applications. Of particular interest is the effect of processing on material properties.
Key projects
- Structure-property relations in fluorite and fluorite-related ceramics
- Synthesis and characterisation of tetragonal tungsten bronze ceramic phases for waste immobilisation
- Application of novel processing techniques to waste immobilisation
- Immobilisation of 14C in glass wasteforms fabricated by microwave synthesis
Key publications
- D. P. Reid, M. C. Stennett, and N. C. Hyatt, The fluorite related modulated structure of the Gd2(Zr2-xCex)O7 solid solution: an analogue for Pu, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, In Press (2012) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2011.12.039.
- J. R. A. Godinho, S Piazolo, M. C. Stennett, and N. C. Hyatt, Sintering of CaF2 pellets as nuclear fuel analogue for surface stability experiments, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 419(2011) 46-51.
- G. L. Hill, B. E. Bailey, M. C. Stennett, N. C. Hyatt, E. R. Maddrell, P. F. McMillan, and J. A. Hriljac, High-pressure and –temperature ion exchange of aluminosilicate and gallosilicate natrolite, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133(2011) 13883-13885.
- D. P. Reid, N. C. Hyatt, M. C. Stennett, and E. R. Maddrell, Immobilising plutonium, Materials World, 19(2011) 26-28.
- M. C. Stennett, I. J. Pinnock, and N. C. Hyatt, Rapid synthesis of Pb5(VO4)3I, for the immobilisation of iodine radioisotopes, by microwave dielectric heating, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 414(2011) 352-359.
- A. T. Giddings, M. C. Stennett, D. P. Reid, E. E. McCabe, C. Greaves, and N.C Hyatt, Synthesis, structure and characterisation of the n=4 Aurivillius phase Bi5Ti¬3CrO15, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 184(2011) 252-263.
- D. P. Reid, M. C. Stennett, B. Ravel, J. C. Woicik, N. Peng, E. R. Maddrell, and N. C. Hyatt, The structure of ion beam amorphised zirconolite studied by grazing angle X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 268(2010) 1847-1852.
- M. C. Stennett, I. M. Reaney, G. C. Miles, D. I. Woodward, A. R. West, C. A. Kirk, and I. Levin, Dielectric and structural studies of Ba2MTi2Nb3O15 (BMNTO15, M = Bi3+, La3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Gd3+) tetragonal tungsten bronze-structured ceramics, Journal of Applied Physics, 101(2007) 104114.
- W. E. Lee, M. I. Ojovan , N. C. Hyatt, and M. C. Stennett, Immobilisation of radioactive waste in glasses, glass composite materials and ceramics, Advances in Applied Ceramics, 105(2006) 3-12.
Research group
Research students:
Mohd Zul Hilmi Mayzan (Processing of glass wasteforms for 14C immobilisation)
Project Students:
Daniel Backhouse (Ceramic immobilisation options for 99Tc)