The cermet could meet three operational requirements for the waste package. First, it can replace the steel in the waste package that provides the necessary strength. Second, the cermet can provide radiation shielding. Finally, the waste basket (the egg-crate structure that holds the SNF in place) can be made from cermets. Different cermets would be used for each application. For shielding, a cermet with a high loading of DU dioxide would be used. For structural purposes, a lower loading of DU dioxide would be used.

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