Diana Carolina Lago, PhD.

Research

Scientific background:

Vitrification of simulated nuclear waste
Stabilization of hazardous metals on glass matrices
Design of adsorption process in porous materials
Sintering of different glass systems
Development of multifunctional materials by additive manufacturing technology
Applied research in material science

International projects:

2016-2018. IAEA ARG9014: Developing National Capacities in Vitrification of Nuclear Waste.

Argentina is considering vitrification as a viable option for dealing with its high-level nuclear waste. This project aims to build capacities to implement vitrification processes for radioactive waste with the support of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme.

2014-2016. IAEA ARG9013: Treating Radioactive Waste by Thermal Processes

This project will aim to implement novel treatment and conditioning methodologies based on thermal processes, like plasma gassification, to reduce the volume of low- and intermediate-level wastes such as spent ion-exchange resins generating waste products with high chemical and mechanical stability.

National projects:

SECTyP-UNCuyo2013-2017. Vitreous microspheres for medical and industrial use. Position: researcher.
CNEA2012-2017. Development of ¹³⁷Cs sealed sources. Position: researcher.
FONCYT2010-2013. Surface chemical functionalization of crystalline and amorphous materials for applications such as biomaterials: first principles calculations and experimental developments. Position: researcher.
CETMIC-CONICET-UNCo. 2008-2010. Adsorption-desorption of metal ions by clay minerals. Evaluation of mixtures of metallic elements in solutions. Position: young researcher.

Publications

Publication activity:

4 Scientific monographs
9 Publications in scientific journals
1 Chapter in open access peer-reviewed book
32 Contributed lectures at conferences
34 Citations
1 Publication in national scientific journal

The most significant publications:

2023

Lago, D., Kraxner, J., Galusek, D., & Bernardo, E. (2023). Novel glass-based membranes for Cu adsorption: From alkali activation to sintering. Heliyon, 9(8).

2022

Lago, D. C., Sánchez, A. D., & Prado, M. O. (2022). Immobilization of a simulated high-level waste in an yttrium aluminosilicate glass. Self-heating assessment. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 42(16), 7561-7569.
Lago, D. C., Sánchez, A. D., & Prado, M. O. (2022). Cesium immobilization in porous silica and 137Cs self-heating simulations. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 565, 153697.

2020

Soldati, Analía Leticia, Diana Carolina Lago, and Miguel Oscar Prado. “Uranium Dioxide Nanoparticulated Materials.” (2020):9. Chapter Open access peer-reviewed Edited Volume Nuclear Materials, IntechOpen. DOI: 10.5772/in-techopen.91017.

2019

C. Lago, M. B. Bortot, M. O. Prado. “Glasses for nuclear waste immobilization. Effect of Lutetium addition on YAS glass crystallization kinetics”. ASME Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science. ISSN:2332-8983. 2019; NERS-18-1046 doi: 10.1115/1.4042497.

2016

C. Lago, M. Nuñez, M. O. Prado. “Adsorption of CsCl on porous SiO₂ glass surface: experimental results and ab-initio calculations”. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 440 (2016) 70-75. ISSN 0022-3093.

2013

C. Lago, M. O. Prado. “Dehydroxilation and Crystallization of Glasses: a DTA study”. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 381 (2013) 12-16. ISSN 0022-3093.
C. Lago, M. O. Prado. “Crystallization of Yttrium and Samarium Aluminosilicate Glasses”. Journal: Physics Procedia 48 (2013) 10-16. ISSN: 1875-3892.

2012

Lago D, Garcés, D, Prado, M. “Crystallization of an Yttrium Aluminosilicate Glass for Nuclear Waste Immobilization” Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings /MRS Online Proceedings Library. 1475.Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-60511-452-1. 2012.
Prado M, Lago D, Rodríguez D. “Sintering kinetics of yttrium aluminosilicate glasses”. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings /MRS Online Proceedings Library. 1475. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-60511-452-1. 2012.

Teaching

Co-supervision

Eng. Ariel Pullao. Ph.D title: Plasma gasification of a simulated operational radioactive waste: reaction products and treatment of the gas stream. Institution: Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (2022-2026).
Eng. Franco Benedetto. Ph.D title: Thermal plasma gasification-vitrification of simulated low-level radioactive waste. Institution: Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (2023-2027).

Education:

2023, PostDoc: Department of Glass Processing at Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glasses, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia. Preparation of 3D glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds by various additive manufacturing techniques
2022, PostDoc: Inviting Researcher at Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy. Preparation of highly porous glass-ceramic by weak alkali activation and subsequent sintering by viscous flow.
2021, PhD in Engineering: Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentinian National Atomic Energy Commission, Nuclear Materials Department. Doctoral dissertation: Vitrification of a simulated nuclear waste stream.
2008, Specialist on Technological Applications of Nuclear Energy (Post-grade): Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentinian National Atomic Energy Commission. Diploma Thesis: Resources development for a conceptual hydrogeological model of a uraniferous area.
2007, BSc in Mining Technology. Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Faculty of Engineering. BSc Thesis: Physicochemical behavior of dehydration: hydration reactions of CaSO₄×2H₂O.
2005, Advanced Technician, University Level in Plants and Ore Analysis. Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Faculty of Engineering. Thesis: Application of instrumental analytical techniques in the crystallochemical, morphological and thermal characterization of two gypsum of Neuquén Province.

Awards, scholarships and research stays:

May 2017. Predisposal of Radioactive Waste. Training through an IAEA fellowship at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Radiochemistry (Supervisors Dr. Stepan Kalmykov and Dra. Irina E. Vlasova). Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (Supervisors Dr. Sergei Stefanovsky). Scientific and Industrial Association “Radon” (Supervisor Dr. Nikolai Spirin). Moscow, Russian Federation.
June – August 2017. Predisposal of Radioactive Waste. Training through an IAEA fellowship at University of Sheffield, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Immobilisation Science Laboratory. (Supervisors Dr. Neil Hyatt, Dr. Claire Corkhill and Dr. Russell Hand). Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Oct 2014 – Dec 2017. Professional Improvement Scholarship, awarded by Argentinian National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), San Carlos de Bariloche – Río Negro, Argentina.
March 2012. Scholar at the “São Carlos Higher School of Materials Science and Engineering”. Awarded by the Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos – São Paulo, Brazil.
January 2011. Scholar at the “Escola São Paulo de Ciência Avançada – Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron”. Awarded by the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Campinas – São Paulo, Brazil.
April 2009 – April 2014. PhD Scholarship awarded by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), San Carlos de Bariloche – Río Negro, Argentina.
Postgraduate scholarship. Specialist on Technological Applications of Nuclear Energy. Awarded by Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Instituto Balseiro), Universidad de Buenos Aires (Faculty of Engineering), Argentinian National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), Argentina.
2007-2008. Scholarship Initiation in Research. Awarded by the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Faculty of Engineering. Zapala – Neuquén, Argentina.

Other activities:

Member of the organizing committee of the workshop “Implementation of Vitrification Technologies for Nuclear Waste, 2017. Centro Atómico Bariloche, Argentina.
Member of the organizing committee “Plasma Processing of Radioactive Wastes: Process Engineering, Flue Gas and Solid Wastes”, 2015. Centro Atómico Bariloche, Argentina.