Solid Nuclear Waste

Solid Nuclear Waste is the solid form of in-game Nuclear Waste produced when high-temperature Nuclear Fallout or Liquid Nuclear Waste is cooled and condensed into a solid. It appears in the same systems as other nuclear materials and interacts with reactors, Radbolt devices, critter drops, and containment mechanics in ways similar to Liquid Nuclear Waste, with distinct handling considerations driven by its phase and temperature history.

Solid Nuclear Waste is commonly formed when Nuclear Fallout emitted by Radbolt Engines or Radbolt projectiles is trapped and cooled, or when overcooled Liquid Nuclear Waste rapidly freezes. Certain critters known as beetas drop large amounts of extremely cold Liquid Nuclear Waste on death; this material "usually quickly solidifies," providing a reliable source of Solid Nuclear Waste from beeta hives. Research Reactors produce Nuclear Waste as a byproduct under normal operation and in meltdowns; that waste can take a solid form if cooled. Because Nuclear Fallout can condense into either liquid or solid states depending on temperature and containment, environments that capture fallout at low temperature will produce solid deposits.

Solid Nuclear Waste emits radiation that can be absorbed by Radbolt Generators. The radiation output of stored Nuclear Waste declines over time as its Radioactive Contaminants decay; consequently, the efficiency of Radbolt generation from a fixed mass of Nuclear Waste falls as contaminants "die off." Note that Nuclear Waste kept inside a Liquid Reservoir does not emit radiation for Radbolt generation purposes, so how and where waste is stored affects usable radiation.

Practical handling and gameplay notes:

• Collection: Capture Radbolt Engine fallout with cold traps or airflow/filtration setups that lower Fallout temperature below its condensation point to obtain Solid Nuclear Waste; beeta hives provide predictable drops of overcooled waste upon creature death that rapidly solidifies.
• Storage: Liquid containers and liquid reservoirs behave differently from open deposits. Containers that interact with liquid Nuclear Waste can eject or offgas additional waste and suffer corrosion damage; these behaviors are primarily documented for Liquid Nuclear Waste, so storing already-solidified waste in open, remote pools or suitably cooled volumes reduces container stress. Storing Nuclear Waste inside a Liquid Reservoir prevents radiation emissions from that stored mass.
• Radiation use: Use Solid Nuclear Waste as a stationary radiation source for Radbolt Generators by exposing it in the environment rather than sealing it in liquid reservoirs. Expect generator efficiency to decline as radioactive contaminants decay.
• Duplication glitch: Containers that hold Nuclear Waste can exhibit a spontaneous ejection duplication bug, producing extra waste without deleting the original contents; reported duplicated quantities are roughly 39.6–53 g per occurrence. Repeated exploitation can lead to exponential growth of Nuclear Waste mass; to avoid uncontrolled accumulation, plan for disposal or secure long-term containment.
• Cooling and heat management: Nuclear Fallout and Liquid Nuclear Waste have extreme thermal behavior (high specific heat capacity and phase-change heat effects). Condensing fallout into solid form can release substantial heat; when designing traps and condensers, include heat sinks or Thermo Aquatuners capable of handling the heat spike produced during condensation and solidification.
• Corrosion and leaks: Devices that handle Nuclear Waste (pumps, aquatuners, containers) are vulnerable to corrosion and leaking when interacting with liquid forms; submerging a device's bottom tiles in at least 1000 kg of any gas or liquid prevents leak and corrosion damage. Prefer remote, heavily cooled storage for waste that may transition between liquid and solid phases.

Solid Nuclear Waste is a useful but hazardous resource: it supplies radiation for Radbolt systems and is a byproduct of advanced reactor and Radbolt engine activity, yet it requires careful thermal and containment engineering to harvest safely and to avoid equipment damage or duplication-based overflow.