Chemistry in nuclear technology

The past 25 years have not been so much a period of generation of new concepts and inventions in nuclear chemical technology as a period of extensions, improvements, and applications of known technology. In nuclear fuel cycle technology there have been advances toward more sophisticated and remotely operable equipment to carry out well-known processes. Transuranium element and radioisotope production processes carried out in hot cells have become routine plant operations. Non-aqueous fuel cycle process chemistry, which has been studied for years, is finally finding applications in liquid-metal reactor fuel reprocessing development at ANL, and AVLIS balance-of-plant process development at ORNL. The technology of radioactive waste management has assumed great importance in recent years