The Noël Research Group at the University of Western Ontario

The Noël research group works on a wide range of corrosion issues, but most notably those related to the safe disposal of used nuclear reactor fuel. The group includes several students who are jointly supervised by Profs. Jamie J. Noël and Dave Shoesmith, and is closely associated with Surface Science Western, Canada’s premier surface analytical facility. Unlike many corrosion groups, who tend to be found in Materials Science or Engineering departments, the Noël research group is situated in a Department of Chemistry, and most of the members hold chemistry degrees. This perfectly suits their research philosophy, which is to seek to uncover the fundamental science underlying corrosion phenomena while performing research work that is industrially relevant. They study uniform and localized corrosion processes on copper, carbon steel, nickel alloys, titanium, and even the nuclear fuel (uranium dioxide) itself, using an extensive repertoire of electrochemical, surface analytical, spectroscopic, and other techniques, such as neutron reflectometry and ion scattering, as required. Their work helps to inform the nuclear fuel waste management programs of Canada, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and others.