Nuclear chemistry: radionuclides and radioactive material

Since the discovery of radium, radioactivity has fascinated as much as it has worried. Today, nuclear energy remains a major challenge for generating heat and electricity worldwide. But behind every reactor, every fuel and every waste treatment, there's an indispensable discipline: chemistry.

Everything to do with radioactivity, whether natural or artificial, has been a topical issue ever since radium was first used, because of the feared or beneficial effects of nuclear radiation. Chemistry and radiochemistry are essential for exploiting the specific features of nuclear phenomena (ionizing radiation, fission and fusion) and managing the consequences of their use. Radioactive material extracted from uranium and thorium ores and produced by irradiation or fission (nuclear gas pedals and reactors) is available in sufficient quantities to be widely exploited.

This talk will show why, without chemistry, there is no possible use for the energy contained in atomic nuclei. It will focus on four main themes:

• New radionuclides for diagnosis and therapy in nuclear medicine.
• Chemistry at the heart of reactor meltdown and its environmental impacts.
• Chemistry for the reprocessing of solid spent nuclear fuel (plutonium and uranium recycling, vitrified waste).
• Chemistry of liquid nuclear fuels (molten salts).

This conference is organized by Robert Guillaumont, member of the Académie des sciences, honorary professor at the University of Paris XI-Orsay (now the University of Paris-Saclay), Marc Fontecave, member of the Académie des sciences, professor at the Collège de France and Olivier Donard, member of the Académie des sciences and director of research emeritus at the CNRS.

[PROGRAM AND REGISTRATION TO COME]