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The core of a nuclear reactor is composed of a controlled critical configuration of a fissile material, which in strict a sense is the fuel. This fissile material is contained in a matrix, normally a ceramic compound or eventually a metallic alloy, and in practice this combination of fissile material and matrix is called the nuclear fuel. In the fuel the fission process takes place, generating heat that must be transferred to the coolant, while producing fission products that must be retained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of obtaining accurate thermodynamic quantities for the actinide elements and their compounds was recognized at the outset of the Manhattan Project, when a dedicated team of scientists and engineers initiated the program to exploit nuclear energy for military purposes. Since the end of World War II, both fundamental and applied objectives have motivated a great deal of further study of actinide thermodynamics. This chapter brings together many research papers and critical reviews on this subject. It also seeks to assess, to systematize, and to predict important properties of the actinide elements, ions, and compounds, especially for species in which there is significant interest and for which there is an experimental basis for the prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of obtaining accurate thermodynamic quantities for the actinide elements and their compounds was recognized at the outset of the Manhattan Project, when a dedicated team of scientists and engineers initiated the program to exploit nuclear energy for military purposes. Since the end of World War II, both fundamental and applied objectives have motivated a great deal of further study of actinide thermodynamics. This chapter brings together many research papers and critical reviews on this subject. It also seeks to assess, to systematize, and to predict important properties of the actinide elements, ions, and compounds, especially for species in which there is significant interest and for which there is an experimental basis for the prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]