Nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, radiation chemistry, health physics and sustainable nuclear energy production

Nuclear Chemistry, Radiochemistry, Radiation Chemistry and Heath Physics play a fundamental role in sustainable nuclear energy production. Their applications are crucial in each stage of the nuclear power cycle. There will be stressed some particular chemical steps concerning the extraction and production of fuel pellets, claddings and assemblies, water radiolysis, plant decommissioning and their reprocessing or disposal cycle. The objectives of this work are: the presentation and the discussion about strength and weakness of the nuclear and radiochemical methods to be used in the sustainable production of nuclear energy and the stressing of the great need of education and training of young scientists in the field of. nuclear and radiochemical (N&R) techniques, in order to ensure a sustainable supply of qualified personnel, whose number have declined steadily and dramatically in the last 20 years. A review on main problematic regarding the different fuel cycles is presented, distinguishing between the traditional open fuel cycle (UOT) adopted in many Countries and the more advanced close cycle, with reprocessing of the nuclear rad-waste, taking into account the partitioning (P) and transmutation (P&T) of U and Pu radionuclides, fission products (FPs), minor actinoids (MAs) and activation products.