Safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) is a challenging problem world-wide. Corrosion-resistant waste packages constitute a key component of a multiple barrier system for waste isolation. Metallic copper has been proposed as an outer layer material for a waste package. However, a concern has been raised regarding potential copper corrosion induced by hydrogen sulfide in a reducing disposal environment. We here demonstrate that lead/lead-alloy materials could be an excellent alternative material for waste package outer layers, owing to their corrosion resistance (especially to hydrogen sulfide attack) and radiation-shielding capability. Our long-term (∼800 days) corrosion experiments show that lead could be passivated by a dense layer of sparingly soluble corrosion products, cerussite (PbCO₃) and tarnowitzite (Ca,Pb)CO₃, in contact with carbonate-bearing groundwaters. If needed, the carbonate concentration in a repository can be conditioned by adding carbonate materials such as calcite or hydromagnesite as a buffer material component to ensure cerussite precipitation. With its low solubility (<10^–6 mol•kg⁻¹), cerussite is more favored to form over galena (PbS) in a typical disposal environment. Thus, the issue of sulfide-induced metal corrosion as that happens to copper can potentially be eliminated. Furthermore, using lead/lead alloy will provide excellent radiation shielding for waste package transportation and repository operation.

高放核废料 (HLW) 的安全处置是世界范围内的一个具有挑战性的问题。耐腐蚀废物包装是废物隔离多重屏障系统的关键组成部分。金属铜已被提议作为废物包装的外层材料。然而，人们担心在还原性处置环境中由硫化氢引起的潜在铜腐蚀。我们在此证明铅/铅合金材料由于其耐腐蚀性（尤其是对硫化氢的侵蚀）和辐射屏蔽能力，可以成为废物包装外层的极好替代材料。我们的长期（约 800 天）腐蚀实验表明，铅可以被一层致密的难溶腐蚀产物，铜铅矿 (PbCO ₃) 和 tarnowitzite (Ca,Pb)CO ₃，与含碳酸盐的地下水接触。如果需要，可以通过添加碳酸盐材料（例如方解石或水菱镁矿）作为缓冲材料组分来调节储存库中的碳酸盐浓度，以确保铈矿沉淀。由于其溶解度低 (<10 ^–6 mol•kg ^-1 )，在典型的处置环境中，比方铅矿 (PbS) 更倾向于形成铜铅矿。因此，可能会消除铜发生的硫化物引起的金属腐蚀问题。此外，使用铅/铅合金将为废物包装运输和储存库操作提供出色的辐射屏蔽。