A review of the chemistry occurring inside a nuclear power plant during a serious reactor accident is presented. This includes some aspects of the behavior of nuclear fuel, its cladding, cesium and iodine. This review concentrates on the chemistry of an accident in a water-cooled reactor loaded with uranium dioxide or mixed metal oxide fuel. Subjects: Chemistry; Environmental Chemistry; Inorgan...

Jon M. Schwantes*, Ralf Sudowe, Charles M. Folden III, Heino Nitsche, and Darleane C. Hoffman Heavy Element Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, California 94720 *Current affiliation: Isotope & Nuclear Chemistry Group, Chemistry Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexi...