CHEM 418 Nuclear Chemistry, Winter 2017: Final Exam

The final exam for CHEM 418 is due 17-Mar-17.  The questions are designed to stimulate a broad utilization of course material. The exam is a word document.  Provide the answers and return as an e-mail attachment or through the Canvas site.  Post any questions to this blog.

CHEM 418 Nuclear Chemistry, Winter 2017: Lecture 19 Nuclear Forensics

This lecture covers the utilization of radionuclide properties to determine origin, age, used, and other properties of nuclear material. These isotope properties are defined as signatures of nuclear material, and include concentrations, relative amounts, and ratios. Specific details are provided on forensic signatures related to Pu and actinide isotopics. The signatures arising from reactors, separations, and post-detonation are included. For plutonium production these signatures include reactor power, reactor type, time of irradiation, separation method, and time since separation. The signatures include plutonium isotopic mass ratios, plutonium isotopic activity ratios, and transplutonium isotope ratios. Separation signatures include evaluation of Zr, Tc, Ru, and the lanthanides, with examples using Nd isotopics. Alloys of actinide metals as signatures is also presented. The lecture is 40 minutes. Lecture 19 PDF Quiz is due 11 March 2017.  The answers to PDF Quiz 19 will be posted on 12 March 2017.

CHEM 418 Nuclear Chemistry, Winter 2017: Exam 3

Exam 3

Assigned: 1-Mar-17                                                               

1st Due Date: 8-Mar-17

2nd Due Date:  10-Mar-17                                                                         

Lecture 11:  Speciation

Lecture 12:  Uranium chemistry

Lecture 13:  Neptunium chemistry

Lecture 14:  Plutonium chemistry

Lecture 15:  Americium and Curium chemistry
Lecture 16:  Chemistry in reactor fuel

Lecture 17:  Separations

Lecture 18:  Application of Nuclear Material

Lecture 19:  Nuclear Forensics

Use lecture notes, textbooks, Chart of the Nuclides, Table of the Isotopes, and web pages.  Use the chart of the nuclides as your primary dataset for isotope half-life.   Show your work or references on a separate page and save electronically.  Submission of the work is not required for the 1st due date.  Please use 3 significant digits for your answers.  For scientific notation please use X.XXEX (i.e, 1230 as 1.23E3).

The first iteration of the exam is due 8-Mar-17.  The answers will be posted on 9-Mar-17.  Any incorrect answers can be resubmitted by 10-Mar-17. Changed answers will be worth 50 % of the original grade.  For the 2nd resubmission the work related to the changes must be shown.  Please post all questions to the blog.

There is an in-class meeting on the exam scheduled for Monday 6 March at 3:20 PM in Bagley 303A.

CHEM 418 Nuclear Chemistry, Winter 2017: Lecture 18 Application of Nuclear Material

The lecture provides examples of the use of radioactive isotopes.  The methods used for isotope production are discussed. The difference between isotope production by accelerators and reactors is highlighted.  Reactor isotope products are primarily neutron rich; while accelerator produced isotopes tend to be neutron poor.  Isotopes used in the generation of neutrons are provided. These neutron generating sources are small with a relatively low neutron generating rate.  They are used in element and compound identification.  Examples of isotopes used as ionization sources are provided.  The discussion focuses on the use of 241Am for smoke detection and 63Ni for explosives detection.  The importance of 238Pu as a heat source is provided, with examples given for space exploration.  A number of isotopes used in radiopharmaceuticals are introduced.  Comparisons are given for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.  The lecture is in 2 parts.  Part 1 is 29 minutes, part 2 is 27 minutes. 

The lecture is assigned on Wednesday 1 March 2017 and due Thursday 9 March 2017.