Lewis Blackburn

Dr. Lewis Blackburn is a Lecturer in Nuclear Materials at the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He also holds a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship and serves as a Royce Technology Platform Lead. His work focuses on developing advanced ceramic materials for radioactive waste immobilization, particularly for plutonium and other actinides.

Dr. Blackburn completed his PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2021 within the Immobilisation Science Laboratory (ISL), followed by an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship. He then undertook a Postdoctoral Research Associate position funded by Nuclear Waste Services to develop advanced zirconolite and pyrochlore-structured ceramics for actinide immobilization, before being awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship to develop Pu ceramic capability.

Dr. Blackburn's research centers on long-term evolution of candidate ceramic wasteforms for the immobilization of separated Pu, including radiation damage processes, chemical durability and process optimization. His key research interests include:

• Materials for radioactive waste immobilisation
• Development of advanced titanate, zirconate and high-entropy oxide ceramic wasteform materials
• Solid state chemistry of actinides (Pu, U, Th, Am) and related surrogates
• Advanced processing methods for waste consolidation and disposal
• Application of X-ray spectroscopy in support of nuclear waste management
• Radiation damage effects in candidate Pu wasteforms

Analysis of Dr. Blackburn's recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a strong focus on zirconolite-based ceramic wasteforms for plutonium disposition and actinide immobilization. His work spans materials synthesis, characterization of phase evolution, radiation damage studies, and process optimization for industrial-scale fabrication. A significant portion of his research involves using spectroscopic techniques to understand the chemical state and durability of these materials.

Dr. Blackburn has received several notable scientific awards:

• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow
• Royce Technology Platform Lead
• EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship
• Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship for Pu ceramic capability development

As a Lecturer at Sheffield, Dr. Blackburn contributes to teaching through the SATURN CDT program and teaches module MAT3910. His research is supported by multiple funding sources including the Royal Academy of Engineering, EPSRC, and Nuclear Waste Services. He collaborates extensively with researchers at the Immobilisation Science Laboratory and other institutions worldwide on nuclear waste management challenges.

Dr. Blackburn is actively involved with the Royce Institute at the University of Sheffield, where he contributes to the "Nuclear with Royce" initiative. His work bridges fundamental materials science with practical applications for nuclear waste management policy, aiming to transform how radioactive waste is handled and disposed of safely.