A paper authored by S.K. Sundaram, Inamori Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Alfred University, and two recent engineering graduates, was published in the latest issue of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Bulletin.
Sundaram and two alumni—Nathaniel Marrero and Samuel Gross— wrote the article, titled “Processing limits of cermets for nuclear waste form application,” which appears in the August 2025 issue of the ACerS Bulletin. Marrero earned a bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering from Alfred in 2023 and went on to earn his master’s degree, also in ceramic engineering, from Alfred in May 2025. Gross earned his bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering in May.
The article discusses the development of methods for nuclear waste mobilization, including the use of “cermets”—heat-resistant materials consisting of ceramics and sintered metals. The paper concludes that cermets offer a unique solution for containing both low-and high-level waste streams in a single waste form.
