Dr Michael I Ojovan

Dr M I Ojovan

MSc PhD DSc FRANS MRS SGT
Reader in Materials Science and Waste Immobilisation

Address:
Department of Engineering Materials
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD

Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 6033
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5943

Email: m.ojovan@sheffield.ac.uk

Michael Ojovan joined the Department in 2002 having previously worked more than 20 years at The Moscow Scientific and Industrial Association "Radon", the leading radioactive waste research institution of Russian Federation.

He has published 250 scientific papers, 5 books and 5 chapters in dedicated monographs, edited a book, and has 42 patents. He is a Fellow of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and a Technical expert of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Research interests

Main research activities are now involved with:
Structure and properties of amorphous materials, topological disorder, viscosity and glass transition. Glasses for nuclear waste immobilisation, corrosion and long term performance. Waste processing technologies. Acoustic emission non-destructive testing techniques.

Earlier works included:
Pulsed laser deposition: thin semiconducting films. Coherent echo-spectroscopy: aerosol and bubble systems. Metastable and strongly excited systems: condensed Rydberg matter. Diffusion-driven instability of surfaces: electrical and radiation field instability of solids. Percolation effects: poly-dispersed systems. Microstructure of emulsions: discovered their fractal structure.

Key projects

  • Feasibility study of acoustic emission monitoring of waste immobilising materials;
  • Radiation damage in glass for acoustic emission analysis;
  • Glass composite wasteforms for spent clinoptilolite immobilisation;
  • In situ sintering of glass composite materials in deep geological repositories;
  • Effects of gamma irradiation on nuclear waste glasses;
  • Melting and viscosity of silica soda lime glasses;
  • Defect mediated model for glass: viscosity-temperature relationships;
  • High-temperature viscosity of melt oxides based on Doremus approach;
  • Crystallisation and aqueous durability of nuclear waste glasses;
  • Ceramics for actinide immobilisation;

Professional activities and recognition

Key publications

  • M.I. Ojovan. 'Viscosity and Glass Transition in Amorphous Oxides', Advances in Condensed Matter Physics, 2008, Article ID 817829, 23 pages (2008).
  • L.M. Spasova, M.I. Ojovan. ‘Characterisation of Al corrosion and its impact on the mechanical performance of composite cement wasteforms by the acoustic emission technique’. J. Nucl. Mater., 375, 347-358 (2008).
  • J.M. Juoi, M.I. Ojovan, W.E. Lee. ‘Microstructure and leaching durability of glass composite wasteforms for spent clinoptilolite immobilisation’. J. Nucl. Mater., 372, 358-366 (2008).
  • M.I. Ojovan, K.P. Travis, R.J. Hand. ‘Thermodynamic parameters of bonds in glassy materials from viscosity-temperature relationships’. J. Phys.: Condensed Matter, 19, 415107, 12p. (2007).
  • M.I. Ojovan, W.E. Lee. ‘Topologically disordered systems at the glass transition. J. Phys.: Condensed Matter’, 18, 11507-11520 (2006).
  • M.I. Ojovan, A.S. Pankov, W.E. Lee. ‘The ion exchange phase in corrosion of nuclear waste glasses’. J. Nucl. Mater., 358, 57-68 (2006).
  • M.I. Ojovan, R.J. Hand, N.V. Ojovan, W.E. Lee. ‘Corrosion of alkali-borosilicate waste glass K-26 in non-saturated conditions’. J. Nucl. Mater. 340, 12-24 (2005).
  • M.I. Ojovan, F.G.F. Gibb, P.P. Poluektov, E.P. Emets. ‘Probing of the interior layers of the Earth with self-sinking capsules’. Atomic Energy, 99, 556-562 (2005).

Publication list (pdf, 198kb)

Research group

University of Sheffield, UK: F.G.F. Gibb, G.W. Greenwood, C.W. McLeod, R.J. Hand, J.M. Parker, G. Moebus, K.P. Travis, N.B. Milestone, N.C. Hyatt, M.C. Stennett, H. Kinoshita, J.M. Joui, L.M. Spasova
Imperial College London, UK: W.E. Lee, A.R. Boccaccini
Nexia Solutions, UK: C. R. Scales. R. Short, H. Godfrey
Scientific and Industrial Association RADON, Russia: S.A. Dmitriev, A.S. Barinov, A.E. Arustamov, O.G. Batyukhnova, O.K. Karlina, K.N. Semenov, G.A. Varlackova, V.L. Klimov
Bochvar´s Institute of Inorganic Materials VNIINM, Russia: P.P. Poluektov, V.A. Kascheev
Moscow Engineering Physical Institute, Russia: E.A. Manykin
Khlopin´s Radium Institute, Russia: B.E. Burakov
St. Petersburg State University, Russia: V.L. Stolyarova
Joint Research Centre, European Commission: R. Burcl
University of California, Davis, USA: A. Navrotsky
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA: B.P. McGrail, D.H. Bakon, J.D. Vienna, D. Strachan
Savannah River National Laboratory, USA: J. Marra, W. Holtzscheiter, N. Bibler, C. Jantzen

Students supervised:
U. Karim
M. Al-Mahrouqi
J. Penfold
N.M. Bhattacharya
K. Matori
T. Tarvornpanich
P. Rose
A. Pankov
J.M. Juoi
L.M. Spasova

Research centres

Immobilisation Science Laboratory

Centre for Glass Research

Ceramics and Composites Laboratory