The NEEDS-waste program brings together CNRS, Andra, EDF, AREVA, CEA and IRSN teams. It is one of the 7 unifying projects grouped within the Grand Défi Interdisciplinary NEEDS (Nucleaire: Energy, Environment, Waste, Society). The general challenge of this unifying project is to develop innovative methods and processes for the characterisation, treatment and conditioning of radioactive waste. One of the R&D themes supported under NEEDS-waste concerns the development of new materials for radioactive waste packages. In particular, the feasibility of replacing the metal materials used today for external radioactive waste storage containers should be explored for the benefit of ceramic containers. This substitution creates specific problems, particularly as regards the sealing of ceramic parts between them. Given the temperature required for sealing this ceramic container (in the order of 850 °C), incompatible with the radioactive waste contained in it, it is not possible to use a conventional electric furnace. It is therefore necessary to develop specific innovative processes in order to seal the ceramic container, without degrading radioactive waste. In this context, the microwave process can be a relevant solution. A first project (SCELLMO) was funded by ANDRA in 2014-2015 to study the feasibility of such sealing by microwave heating. In this project, the microwave experiments were carried out in the laboratory Georges Friedel (LGF) of the Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne. As the first results proved promising, ANDRA decided to continue the studies in this direction. The NOUMEHA project is therefore a continuation of SCELLMO and is based on new partnerships and skills. Thus, the CRISMAT laboratory, recognised in the field of microwave heating, together with the LGF laboratory, will be responsible for the main task of the project, dedicated to microwave experiments.With the expertise of more than 30 years of the CRISMAT laboratory in the field of microwave heat treatment, to meet the needs of a new specific industrial application, Noumeha is fully integrated into the field of "Sustainable and intelligent materials of RIS 3. Sealing such ceramics by microwave heating would be a real innovation both from a material and process point of view. Indeed, the use of the microwave process greatly reduces heating times and energy consumption, and is therefore part of an energy transition process.The NOUMEHA project, with funding of 2 years (2016-2017), brings together 9 teams:- Laboratoire Georges Friedel, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne (LGF)- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et Sciences des Materials, ENSI Caen (CRISMAT)- Laboratory of Science and Engineering of Materials and Processes, INP Grenoble (SIMAP)- Laboratory Sciences of Ceramic Processes and Surface Treatments, University of Limoges, (SPCTS)- Laboratory Materials and Structures Architected, Navier Ecole des Ponts (Navier)- Laboratory of Mechanics and Acoustics (LMA)- Laboratory of Physico-Chemical Materials (LP2C)- SubatechThree companies/SMEs will also be asked by the various laboratories for consultancy or subcontracting:- Porcelaine Pierre Arquié (PPA) will intervene for the supply of ceramic parts and advice (WP2, WP3 and WP4)- Mistras will intervene for mechanical characterisation and CND (WP3)- Sairem will intervene for advice on process industrialisation (WP2)