Uranium to Electricity: The Chemistry of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

摘要

Expanded use of nuclear power is currently being con-sidered as a no-carbon-emission energy source to reduce theharmful effects of climate change (1). Currently nuclear powersupplies 19.4% of U.S. electricity (2) and 14% globally (3).Many nations, including the United States, are consideringthe construction of new nuclear facilities to both expand andmaintain generating capacity. Some environmentalists whopreviously opposed the nuclear option have now embraced it,but opposition remains. Any substantive discussion of the prosand cons of nuclear power as a source of electricity requires someknowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle (Figure 1).