PRINCIPLES OF RADIOCHEMISTRY - 2021/2

Module Overview

The aim of the module is to introduce students to the basic principles of radiochemistry, including nuclear stability and the nature of radioactive decay. Emphasis will be placed on methods for the measurement of radioactive isotopes together with the radiochemical separation techniques required in sample preparation. The concept of radiological dose, which forms the basis of radiological protection, will be covered in both the lectures and practical sessions.

Module provider

Chemistry

Module Leader

FELIPE-SOTELO Monica (Chm Proc Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• origin of nuclear science; elementary particles; nuclei, nuclear structure and nuclear mass stability; radioactive decay, types, energy and properties; laws of radioactive decay, half-life and radioactive equilibria; nuclear reactions.


• detection and measurement of radioactivity; principles of detection; counting efficiency; types of detectors; instrumentation (gamma, alpha, mass spectrometry, LSC, imaging), primary standards, nuclear decay data


• radiochemical separations; sequestering of radionuclides, deposition, exchange and solvent extraction methods, sample preparation.


• statistics of radioactive decay; treatment of uncertainty


• dosimetry and radiological protection; interaction of radiation with matter, concept of dose, units and regulatory limits; biological effects of radiation, stochastic and deterministic effects; biological half-life; principles of radiation protection,

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

• An understanding of fundamental principles in radiochemistry.


• Competence in performing fundamental calculations.


• Capacity for independent/critical thinking by means of coursework.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• assessment of coursework (30%, of which 20% corresponds to a report on the practical work and 10% to a critical review of a research paper). The two pieces of coursework evaluate (LOs 2, 3 & 5).


• written examination - 1.5 hours (70%), (LOs 1,2,3,4 & 5)

Formative assessment

Contact time during the tutorial sessions will be employed to provide timely feedback to the students, to help them understand the requirements and to tackle any problems or the need for additional support to complete the module successfully.

Feedback

All the students will receive individual written feedback on their coursework.

Module aims

• Develop a thorough understanding of nuclear stability and the mechanisms of radioactive decay
• Familiarise the students with instrumental techniques used for the detection and quantification of radioactivity (gamma-, alpha-counting, liquid scintillation counting, mass spectrometry)
• Describe methods used in radiochemical separation
• Convey statistical counting methods and the treatment of uncertainty in radiochemical measurements
• Introduce the concept of radiological dose and the principles of radioactive protection

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• develop a knowledge of the fundamentals of radiochemistry and the measurement of radioactivity


• develop a good understanding of the concept of dose and the principles of radiological protection.


• provide a firm grounding for more advanced studies during the following years of study.

The learning and teaching methods include:

combination of lectures (20 hours), practical sessions (15 hours) and tutorials (5 hours). Individual research evaluating peer-reviewed publications (coursework during the tutorials the students will have the opportunity to work in small groups on calculations related to the lecture contents, to develop critical thinking and encourage deeper knowledge by participating in problem-solving and role play exercises.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHE2041

Other information

None

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.