Young Scientist of IGEM RAS I.A. Morozov — Winner of the 2026 RSCF Competition

Dear colleagues!

We are pleased to announce that Ivan Arkadyevich Morozov, a researcher at the Laboratory — Scientific Center "Engineering Barriers" of the Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IGEM RAS), has become a winner of the 2026 Russian Science Foundation (RSСF) competition for young scientists. His project No. 26−77−10 093, titled "Influence of smectite clays on corrosion mechanisms of container materials under model conditions of geological radioactive waste disposal," has received funding.

The team has extensive research experience in this field (since 2019!), which undoubtedly provides a solid foundation for the successful implementation of all planned work.

The development of safe deep geological disposal facilities for radioactive waste (DGD) is one of the key tasks for the development of nuclear energy in Russia. One of the main barriers to radionuclide migration is the buffer layer of bentonite clay surrounding the metal container with waste. However, the long-term interaction between metal and clay in underground conditions has not been sufficiently studied.

Within the project, Ivan Morozov intends to determine how the crystal-chemical structure of smectites (the main component of bentonite) affects the corrosion rate of container materials. Both aerobic (in the presence of oxygen) and anaerobic (oxygen-free) processes will be considered, the latter setting in after the repository is backfilled.

Special attention will be paid to how the protective properties of clay (swelling, density, porosity) change upon contact with various metals under conditions of high temperatures and pressure. The research results will help refine geochemical models and provide a long-term prediction of the behavior of engineering barriers for hundreds and thousands of years ahead.