Jon Schwantes

Affiliate Researcher
Titles and Affiliations
Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Jon Schwantes is a Professor in the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State University, working in areas related to aqueous environmental radiochemistry, super-heavy element chemistry and physics, astrophysical nucleosynthesis, science-based stockpile stewardship, nuclear material science, and nuclear forensics.

In the News

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Projects

Recent Publications

Uranium Mössbauer Array Spectroscopy (UxMAS): A Nondestructive Method for Detecting Traces of Highly Enriched Uranium in Environmental Samples

de Morais, M. R., Gaghan, A. K., Sweet, L. E. & Schwantes, J. M., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Evaluation of the Radioactive Material Released in the Harborview Research and Training Building and Some Implications for Emergency Response

Musolino, S. V., Harper, F. T., Blumenthal, D. J., Schwantes, J., Buck, E. C., Carney, K. P., Chichester, D. L., Holschuh, T. V., Kane, J. J. & Murray, D. J., Nov 2025, In: Health Physics. 129, 5, p. 359-373 15 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Modeling delayed thermal runaway in nitric acid-soaked cat litter mixed with radioactive waste

Hobbs, M. L., Britt, P. F., Hobbs, D. T., Kaneshige, M. J., Minette, M. J., Mintz, J., Pennebaker, F. M., Parker, G. R., Pierce, R., Rosenberg, D. M., Schwantes, J. M. & Williams, A. M., Oct 2024, In: Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 149, 19, p. 11313-11322 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Thermal runaway of nitric acid-soaked kitty litter in transuranic waste

Hobbs, M. L., Britt, P. F., Hobbs, D. T., Kaneshige, M. J., Minette, M., Mintz, J., Pennebaker, F. M., Parker, G. R., Pierce, R., Rosenberg, D. M., Schwantes, J. & Williams, A., Nov 2022, In: Process Safety and Environmental Protection. 167, p. 543-549 7 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Exercise Celestial Skónis: Part 1 – History, purpose, design and results of traditional forensic examinations of the 6th Collaborative materials exercise of the nuclear forensics International Technical Working Group

Schwantes, J. M., Corbey, J. F. & Marsden, O., Jul 2022, In: Forensic Chemistry. 29, 100424.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Exercise Celestial Skónis: Part 2 – Emerging technologies and State of Practice of nuclear forensic analyses demonstrated during the 6th collaborative materials exercise of the nuclear forensics International Technical Working Group

Schwantes, J. M., Corbey, J. F. & Marsden, O., Jul 2022, In: Forensic Chemistry. 29, 100423.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Plutonium Hybrid Materials: A Platform to Explore Assembly and Metal-Ligand Bonding

Surbella, R. G., Ducati, L. C., Schofield, M. H., McNamara, B. K., Pellegrini, K. L., Corbey, J. F., Schwantes, J. M., Autschbach, J. & Cahill, C. L., Nov 14 2022, In: Inorganic chemistry. 61, 45, p. 17963-17971 9 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Multifunctional Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks for Radionuclide Sequestration and Detection

Surbella, R. G., Reilly, D. D., Sinnwell, M. A., McNamara, B. K., Sweet, L. E., Schwantes, J. M. & Thallapally, P. K., Sep 29 2021, In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 13, 38, p. 45696-45707 12 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Author Correction: Distribution of metallic fission-product particles in the cladding liner of spent nuclear fuel (npj Materials Degradation, (2020), 4, 1, (4), 10.1038/s41529-019-0107-0)

Clark, R. A., Conroy, M. A., Lach, T. G., Buck, E. C., Pellegrini, K. L., McNamara, B. K. & Schwantes, J. M., Dec 2020, In: npj Materials Degradation. 4, 1, 9.

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Distribution of metallic fission-product particles in the cladding liner of spent nuclear fuel

Clark, R. A., Conroy, M. A., Lach, T. G., Buck, E. C., Pellegrini, K. L., McNamara, B. K. & Schwantes, J. M., Dec 2020, In: npj Materials Degradation. 4, 1, 4.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Uncovering uranium isotopic heterogeneity of fuel pellets from the fifth collaborative materials exercise of The Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group

Jovanovic, S. V., Weber, P. K., Pidduck, A. J., Gaffney, A. M., Girard, P., Pointurier, F., Hedberg, M., Simons, A. J., Stebelkov, V., Kell, T., Knight, K., Parsons-Davis, T., Kristo, M., Williams, R. W., Treinen, K. C., Montgomery, N. J., King, J., Wickenden, A., Knight, D. & Fauré, A. L. & 9 others, Hubert, A., Albert, N., Vincent, M. C., Wallenius, M., Elantyev, I. A., Zhizhin, K. D., Schwantes, J. M., Marsden, O. & Taylor, F., Dec 2020, In: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 326, 3, p. 1853-1866 14 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Direct observations of Pd–Te compound formation within noble metal inclusions in spent nuclear fuel

Kessler, S. H., Lach, T. G., Garrett, K. E., Conroy, M. A., Abrecht, D. G., Schwantes, J. M. & Clark, R. A., Sep 2020, In: Journal of Nuclear Materials. 538, 152249.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

A new non-diffusional gas bubble production route in used nuclear fuel: Implications for fission gas release, cladding corrosion, and next generation fuel design

Schwantes, J. M., Bair, J. L., Buck, E. C., Devanathan, R., Kessler, S. H., Lach, T. G., Lonergan, J. M., McNamara, B. K., Palmer, C. J. & Clark, R. A., Mar 21 2020, In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 22, 11, p. 6086-6099 14 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Rational Design of a Uranyl Metal–Organic Framework for the Capture and Colorimetric Detection of Organic Dyes

Surbella, R. G., Carter, K. P., Lohrey, T. D., Reilly, D., Kalaj, M., McNamara, B. K., Schwantes, J. & Abergel, R. J., Nov 2 2020, In: Chemistry - A European Journal. 26, 61, p. 13819-13825 7 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

State of practice and emerging application of analytical techniques of nuclear forensic analysis: highlights from the 5th Collaborative Materials Exercise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG)

Taylor, F., Higginson, M., Marsden, O. & Schwantes, J., Jan 1 2020, In: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 323, 1, p. 415-430 16 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review