Many ceramic materials (hollandite, pyrochlore, zirconolite) have been proposed as possible host phases for the incarceration of radioactive waste. Solid-state NMR provides a useful tool for characterizing the framework structure and ordering, determining the local environment of encapsulated species (through the use of non-radioactive analogues) and the disruption (amorphization) of the framework upon radioactive decay.

Recent work includes 89Y, 139La and 119Sn NMR of pyrochlores, the development of techniques to study 17O at natural abundance levels and the use of 133Cs NMR for the study of Cs incorporation and dynamics in a range of ceramic phases.