nuclear chemical engineering definition of nuclear chemical engineering in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

nuclear chemical engineering [′nü·klē·ər ¦kem·ə·kəl ‚en·jə′nir·iŋ]

(chemical engineering)

The branch of chemical engineering that deals with the production and use of radioisotopes.

Nuclear chemical engineering

The branch of chemical engineering that deals with the production and use of radioisotopes, nuclear power generation, and the nuclear fuel cycle. A nuclear chemical engineer requires training in both nuclear and chemical engineering. As a nuclear engineer, he or she should be familiar with the nuclear reactions that take place in nuclear fission reactors and radioisotope production, with the properties of nuclear species important in nuclear fuels, with the properties of neutrons, gamma rays, and beta rays produced in nuclear reactors, and with the reaction, absorption, and attenuation of these radiations in the materials of reactors. See Nuclear fuels

As a chemical engineer, he or she should know the properties of materials important in nuclear reactors and the processes used to extract and purify these materials and convert them into the chemical compounds and physical forms used in nuclear systems. See Chemical engineering, Nuclear reactor

Aspects of nuclear reactors of concern to nuclear chemical engineers include production and purification of the uranium dioxide fuel, production of the hafnium-free zirconium tubing used for fuel cladding, and control of corrosion and radioactive corrosion products by chemical treatment of coolant. A chemical engineering aspect of heavy-water reactor operation is control of the radioactive tritium produced by neutron activation of deuterium. Aspects of liquid-metal fast-breeder reactors of concern to nuclear chemical engineers include fabrication of the mixed uranium dioxide-plutonium dioxide fuel, purity control of sodium coolant to prevent fouling and corrosion, and reprocessing of irradiated fuel to recover plutonium and uranium for recycle. See Nuclear fuel cycle

Mentioned in	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found			Nubian-Arabian Shield Nubians NuBus Nucellus nucha nuchal ligament nuchal organ nuchal rigidity nuchal tentacle Nuckolls County nuclear nuclear absorption Nuclear Accident nuclear adiabatic demagnetization nuclear age determination nuclear angular momentum nuclear atom Nuclear Battery nuclear binding energy nuclear boiler nuclear bomb nuclear breeder nuclear capture nuclear chain reaction Nuclear Charge nuclear chemical engineering nuclear chemistry nuclear cloud nuclear collision nuclear converter nuclear cross section nuclear decay mode nuclear density nuclear device nuclear dimorphism nuclear disarmament nuclear electric power generation Nuclear Electronics Nuclear Emulsion nuclear emulsion counter Nuclear Energy nuclear engine Nuclear Engineering nuclear envelope nuclear equation of state nuclear excavation Nuclear Explosion Nuclear Explosion, Destructive Effects of a Nuclear Fission nuclear fluid dynamic model nuclear force			Nuclear Capability Exercise Nuclear Capability Server nuclear capture Nuclear Car Wash nuclear cardiology Nuclear Cardiology Technologist nuclear cataract nuclear cataract nuclear cataract nuclear cataract nuclear certifiable Nuclear Certification Test Set Nuclear Certification Test System nuclear certified nuclear certified delivery unit nuclear certified delivery vehicle Nuclear Certified Equipment nuclear chain fibers nuclear chain fibers nuclear chain fibers Nuclear chain reaction Nuclear chain reactions Nuclear chainreaction Nuclear charge Nuclear charge Nuclear charge Nuclear Chemical Accident & Incident Plan Nuclear Chemical Accident-Incident Control Nuclear Chemical and Biological Nuclear Chemical Biological and Radiological nuclear chemical engineering nuclear chemist nuclear chemist nuclear chemistry nuclear chemistry nuclear chemistry Nuclear Circuits Nuclear Cities Initiative Nuclear Cladding Removal Waste Nuclear Clock Nuclear Clock Nuclear Cloning nuclear cloud nuclear cloud nuclear club nuclear clusterin nuclear collateral damage nuclear collision nuclear column Nuclear Command & Control System Enterprise Database Nuclear Command and Control Nuclear Command and Control Document Nuclear Command and Control Procedure Nuclear Command and Control System Nuclear Command, Control & Communications Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Mission Critical Functions nuclear command, control, and communications Nuclear Commander in Chief nuclear commitment Nuclear Component Cooling Water System