On July 1, TASS reported that experts at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have developed a non-destructive testing technology for containers holding radioactive waste (RAW), commissioned by JSC TVEL, the fuel division management company of Russia's Rosatom State Corporation. There is currently no direct analogue of this technology worldwide. According to the university's press service, the method obtains precise data on container contents in just a few hours without opening the packaging, improving the safety of handling legacy radioactive waste while reducing economic costs.

Russia and the world have accumulated large volumes of radioactive waste, and verifying their composition traditionally requires opening containers—a process that not only extends certification time but also generates secondary radioactive waste.

The technology, developed by TPU's School of Non-destructive Testing and Security, enables fast and accurate data acquisition without unpacking. In final radioactive waste isolation facilities, it can serve as an additional verification step for delivered batches. Inspecting one container takes less than two hours, with up to four or five inspections possible per shift—significantly increasing the reliability and safety of final isolation at storage sites while reducing potential environmental risks to personnel and nearby populations.

The technology uses a cyclotron as the X-ray source and incorporates automated safety systems, specialized design elements, and proprietary software—all developed independently by TPU scientists.

Its operating principle is similar to airport or border inspection systems: a betatron generates secondary X-rays that penetrate the container, and a tomographic scanner precisely determines the shape of the contents. In the final image, organic materials, metals, plastics, and liquids are highlighted in different colors based on their differing density and structure, which affect radiation absorption.

Project leader German Filippov, head of TPU's International Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Non-destructive Testing, stated that the system allows operators to control everything remotely from a safe distance without opening containers. Global demand for such technology is growing, and its uniqueness lies in the overall concept, the use of a betatron as the radiation source, the integrated design, and the software—together creating a system capable of rapid remote scanning with clear identification of container contents.