This glass blocks nuclear radiation
Corning’s 7-ton windows are helping scientists advance nuclear energy research in the U.K.
Corning’s specialty glass is being used to block nuclear radiation in research environments.
At a laboratory in northwest England, technicians spend hours a day working just feet from highly radioactive material – material that could be lethal within minutes of exposure.
This work is vital. To provide safe and stable nuclear energy for large portions of the United Kingdom, staff at the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) Windscale facility must test both spent and fresh fuel samples.
To do their job, researchers need protection from radiation – but they also need a clear view of the fuel samples. Glass solves both challenges. Corning specialty glass windows help keep UKNNL technicians safe while conducting radioactive testing with clarity.
Looking through Corning’s 7-ton, transparent windows, UKNNL scientists are exploring ways to keep nuclear-powered electricity abundant for the U.K. By providing these windows, Corning is quite literally helping keep the lights on across the country.
A special composition of glass is needed to create a “cave” for experiments.
Researching nuclear fission in the “caves”
For decades, the laboratory’s research has advanced the U.K. nuclear industry, with safety top of mind.
“At UKNNL, safety isn’t just a priority, it’s a core value embedded in everything we do,” said Michelle Carruthers, Customer Workstream Lead and Senior Project Manager at UKNNL. “Keeping our operators safe and making sure mothers, fathers, and family members return to their families safe at the end of everyday is our most important consideration.”
At the Windscale facility, the testing takes place in what lab staff call “caves” – spaces encased in layers of thick concrete, where robotic arms manipulate fuel samples.
From behind the massive glass windows, technicians remotely control these robot arms to cut, manipulate, and examine the fuel.
Corning and the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory collaborated on the environment needed to research nuclear energy.
Upgrading windows for safety and clarity
About a decade ago, UKNNL’s Windscale facility placed an order for the construction and installation of 45 specialty windows from SOVIS, a nuclear shielding business unit of the Saint-Gobain. The French conglomerate had already been buying its glass for specialty windows from Corning France.
In 2022, Corning acquired SOVIS, adding to the company’s existing Specialty Glass and Glass Ceramics business. Today, Corning’s Heavy Shielding unit supplies protective windows to labs like UKNNL, as well as power plants and medical facilities.
“Over the past decade, Sovis/Corning have been exemplary in their support of UKNNL and were critical in helping UKNNL achieve its long-term goal of improving this strategically important UK facility, making it a safer and more productive environment to operate in,” said Jonathan Sanders, Senior Project Engineer at UKNNL.
Blocking radiation: gamma rays and neutrons
At the UKNNL Windscale facility, Corning’s windows are first and foremost designed to block harmful radiation.
“These windows have to protect you from two sources: gamma rays and neutrons,” said Alessandra Vizza, the Business Director at Corning Specialty Glass.
To block gamma rays, Corning’s Nuclear Application team developed a specialized glass composition that is approximately 70% lead. The windows incorporate multiple blocks of leaded glass stacked together, along with layers of acrylic to block neutrons. Combined, these materials ensure that the 7-ton windows shield researchers from harmful radiation.
“Crafting glasses with these unique specifications demands exceptional expertise and precision. At Specialty Glass, we recognized UKNNL's needs and delivered Corning® Sovis™ Solutions – a truly customized innovation. No one else in the world can match the scale and excellence of what we do,” said Alessandra.
Extreme transparency: disappearing glass
Beyond protection, the clarity of Corning’s windows is what sets them apart. Corning employees cut, polish, and then test the windows using rigorous optical quality standards. If a block is not sufficiently transparent, it doesn’t make the cut.
"We do our job so well that the window basically disappears from the operator. Then, the operator is really inside the cave,” said Loic Froissard, the Commercial Manager Heavy Shielding at Corning.
A decade-long partnership
Corning offers a complete solution for these windows. The company develops the raw materials, manufactures the windows, and can even handle installation. At UKNNL, Corning has been providing windows for the last decade, and the partnership will soon culminate with the installation of the final sets at the Windscale facility.
“Sovis/Corning’s technical expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to quality have consistently surpassed expectations, playing a pivotal role in the successful execution of this complex and demanding project,” said Andy Moore, Quality Manager at UKNNL. “This partnership has been characterized by seamless communication, effective project management, and a shared commitment to excellence and quality, establishing Sovis/Corning as a trusted and invaluable contributor to our ongoing success and mission.”