- Email: [email protected]
Basic chemistry in nuclear energy
1. laot'g. NucL Chem., 1961. Vol. 17, pp. 391 to 393. Pergamon Pre~ Ltd. Printed in Northern Ireland
BOOK REVIEWS
Basle Chemigry in Nuclear ~ . Volume 28 of the Proceedings of the Second United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Geneva 1958. United Nations (1959) ix + 686 pp. $18,50, Tins volume is a vivid reminder, if one were needed, of how great a part chemistry plays in the development of nuclear energy, from the isolation and purification of the starting materials without which the reactor will not work efficiently, to the processing, utilization and disposal of the products of fission. This book is composed of a collection of some 92 original papers dealing with a variety of chemical problems which are of interest and importance in the production of nuclear energy. There is however, in these papers, a great deal of valuable material which will be of interest also to inorganic chemists whose work lies in other fields. The papers are divided into three groups. In the first part (28 papers) a variety of purely chemical topics are dealt with. Many of these are of wide interest. They include ten papers on various aspects of ion-exchange phenomena, on the chemistry or separation o f ruthenium, technetium, rhodium, thorium, zirconium, niobium and polonium, and also contributions to the chemistry of fluorides and of fused salts in general. The 22 papers which comprise Part II deal more particularly with the chemistry of the heavy metals and their compounds, especially those of interest to the production of nuclear energy, such as Thorium and Uranium. Ten papers deal with various aspects of the chemistry of the actinides. One re.arises, on reading these papers, that transmutation of elements has now become a factory process. In view of the opposition which has been expressed by some authors to the hypothesis of the existence of an actinide series, a critical review of the arguments concerning the position of these elements in the Periodic Table will of be general interest. Among the conclusions drawn by the author is that the lanthanide and actinide series are not part of Group IIIA but have their own individuality. The 42 papers in Part III are concerned chiefly with matters of analysis, either of techniques associated with the analysis of materials involved in the production of nuclear energy or with the use of activation analysis for the determination of other elements. F. F~meROT~R
The Intermttteaal Dlreetery of Radinisotepes--I. Uaproeessed and Preeeesed Radioisotope Prelmraaml Special Radiation Sources. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1959. iii + 264 pp. IN this directory of radioisotopes the International Atomic Energy Agency has collected together all the information available to them about the world supply and distribution of radioisotopes. In undertaking a compilation of this kind the Agency must have been in the fortunate position where the suppliers were only too happy to furnish them with the information they required. A glance at the first nine pages of this volume, where over 45 suppliers are listed, confirms the international coverage claimed. A brief list of definitions and explanations of terms used covers three pages and the remaining 264 pages are devoted to technical information on specific radioisotopes. For each isotope the available figures for half-life and energies of the radiations up to December 1958 are given, and in tabulatad form the chemical form of the isotopes in question, the supplier, standard weight and the specific and total activity available. 391
BOOK REVIEWS
Basle Chemigry in Nuclear ~ . Volume 28 of the Proceedings of the Second United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Geneva 1958. United Nations (1959) ix + 686 pp. $18,50, Tins volume is a vivid reminder, if one were needed, of how great a part chemistry plays in the development of nuclear energy, from the isolation and purification of the starting materials without which the reactor will not work efficiently, to the processing, utilization and disposal of the products of fission. This book is composed of a collection of some 92 original papers dealing with a variety of chemical problems which are of interest and importance in the production of nuclear energy. There is however, in these papers, a great deal of valuable material which will be of interest also to inorganic chemists whose work lies in other fields. The papers are divided into three groups. In the first part (28 papers) a variety of purely chemical topics are dealt with. Many of these are of wide interest. They include ten papers on various aspects of ion-exchange phenomena, on the chemistry or separation o f ruthenium, technetium, rhodium, thorium, zirconium, niobium and polonium, and also contributions to the chemistry of fluorides and of fused salts in general. The 22 papers which comprise Part II deal more particularly with the chemistry of the heavy metals and their compounds, especially those of interest to the production of nuclear energy, such as Thorium and Uranium. Ten papers deal with various aspects of the chemistry of the actinides. One re.arises, on reading these papers, that transmutation of elements has now become a factory process. In view of the opposition which has been expressed by some authors to the hypothesis of the existence of an actinide series, a critical review of the arguments concerning the position of these elements in the Periodic Table will of be general interest. Among the conclusions drawn by the author is that the lanthanide and actinide series are not part of Group IIIA but have their own individuality. The 42 papers in Part III are concerned chiefly with matters of analysis, either of techniques associated with the analysis of materials involved in the production of nuclear energy or with the use of activation analysis for the determination of other elements. F. F~meROT~R
The Intermttteaal Dlreetery of Radinisotepes--I. Uaproeessed and Preeeesed Radioisotope Prelmraaml Special Radiation Sources. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1959. iii + 264 pp. IN this directory of radioisotopes the International Atomic Energy Agency has collected together all the information available to them about the world supply and distribution of radioisotopes. In undertaking a compilation of this kind the Agency must have been in the fortunate position where the suppliers were only too happy to furnish them with the information they required. A glance at the first nine pages of this volume, where over 45 suppliers are listed, confirms the international coverage claimed. A brief list of definitions and explanations of terms used covers three pages and the remaining 264 pages are devoted to technical information on specific radioisotopes. For each isotope the available figures for half-life and energies of the radiations up to December 1958 are given, and in tabulatad form the chemical form of the isotopes in question, the supplier, standard weight and the specific and total activity available. 391