Advancements in shielding materials for spent fuel storage

Abstract In this chapter, the advancements in shielding materials used in the design of spent fuel containers are presented. Factors such as the target lifetime, the exposure environment, the type of container, and the energy spectrum of the source term are analyzed. The main types of containers and commercial products that incorporate different materials are shown and the main metals or alloys with potential applications for the manufacture of containers are analyzed. The principal specific materials for neutron shielding are described, which include both polymeric materials capable of scattering high-energy neutrons and other materials highly effective in absorbing thermal neutrons. Finally, the breakthrough in numerical simulation, an indispensable tool for model optimization and material selection, is described, with special emphasis on multilayer strategy, a very effective model that is based on the heterogenization of the component for shielding.