Bibliometric Mapping of Studies on Neutron Absorber Materials and Criticality Safety in Spent Nuclear Fuel Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55981/urania.2026.16340Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, spent nuclear fuel, neutron absorber materials, criticality safety, dry storageAbstract
Spent nuclear fuel storage systems must remove decay heat, maintain radiation shielding and confinement, and prevent nuclear criticality during interim storage, transportation, and disposal-oriented handling. Neutron absorber materials are central, maintaining subcritical margins in storage racks, casks, baskets, and transport packages. Although bibliometric studies examined nuclear fuel cycle technologies or spent nuclear fuel research, none comprehensively integrated spent nuclear fuel storage, neutron absorber materials, decay heat, and criticality safety, limiting systematic understanding of their research landscape and evolving relationships. This study maps Scopus-indexed research from 2000 to January 2026 on spent nuclear fuel storage, neutron absorber materials, and criticality safety. Scopus yielded 599 records on 27 January 2026; document-type and language screening retained 236 English-language journal articles. VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel analyzed annual publication trends, country and author productivity, journal distribution, keyword co-occurrence, thematic clusters, and temporal trends. Publications generally increased after 2014, peaking in 2021 and 2024. The United States, South Korea, and China led contributions; main venues included Annals of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Technology, and Nuclear Engineering and Design. Three themes dominated: spent nuclear fuel storage technologies, neutron absorber and shielding materials, and computational analysis for nuclear criticality safety. Temporal trends shifted from reactor-related computational studies toward storage technologies and recent performance evaluation of advanced neutron absorber and shielding materials. This comprehensive bibliometric mapping reveals major themes, leading sources, productive authors, and emerging trends. Findings highlight the need to integrate material characterization, neutron testing, degradation assessment, and criticality modeling for long-term spent nuclear fuel storage safety and reliability.
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