Today is the 110th anniversary of the birth of Yang Chengzong, a famous radiochemist and educator, the main pioneer of China's nuclear fuel industry, and the founder of the discipline of radiochemistry of the Republic. I would like to remember you with this article!
Yang Chengzong
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He inherited the school and returned to China after completing his studies
On September 5, 1911, Yang Chengzong was born in Batuo Town, Wujiang County, Jiangsu Province, and received a good family education since childhood. In 1932, he graduated from Shanghai Datong University with 7 homework courses with "best" results.
Yang Chengzong (second from right) is with his father Yang Qiru (fourth from right) and other family members
In 1934, on the recommendation of President Cao Huiqun, Yang Chengzong came to the Institute of Radium Studies of The Peking Research Institute to study radiochemistry under the guidance of Zheng Dazhang, the founder of early radiochemistry in China, and carried out research on radioactive elements such as uranium, polonium, radium, radon and so on.
At the beginning of 1947, Yang Chengzong went to France to study and studied in the Curie Laboratory, and the teacher was Elena Jolio Curie, Marie Curie's eldest daughter.
During his studies, Yang Chengzong successfully developed an ion exchange method for separating lanthanides from actinides. Using this method, uranium-containing minerals can form complexed uranyl ions in dilute sulfuric acid solutions to obtain uranium concentrated at low concentrations, which has been widely used in the world nuclear industry.
On June 15, 1951, Yang Chengzong received a doctorate in science from the Faculty of Science of the University of Paris, and his thesis was rated as the best grade. On June 21, Qian Sanqiang sent a telegram from Beijing, hoping that he would return to China to work as soon as possible. At that time, the French National Center for Scientific Research proposed to renew Yang Chengzong's employment with a high salary of 550,000 francs, but he decided to give up and resolutely returned to China.
In 1951, Marie Joliot Curie toasted Yang Chengzong (first from left) at a celebration meeting after his doctoral dissertation was approved
On the eve of his return to China, Yang Chengzong was entrusted by Qian Sanqiang to purchase a large number of books, instruments, and medicines related to atomic energy with the $3,000 that the organization had brought. After the expenses were exhausted, he also put forward all his savings in the French provinces. With the help of the Curies, he also obtained a standard source of 10 grams of barium radium carbonate and a 100-position counter for measuring radiation, which are the tools of atomic energy science research.
When Mr. Jolio Curie, then chairman of the World Council for the Defense of Peace, learned of Yang Chengzong's decision to return to China, he said to him: "You go back and tell Mao Zedong that if you want to defend world peace and oppose the atomic bomb, you must have your own atomic bomb." The atomic bomb is not so terrible, and the principle of the atomic bomb was not invented by the Americans. You have your own scientists, Qian (the three strong), you, Qian's wife (He Zehui), Wang (Wang Dezhao). These remarks were a strong support for the just cause of the Chinese people, and also played a positive role in promoting the central government's determination to develop its own nuclear weapons.
Laying the foundation for the development of radiochemistry
After Yang Chengzong returned to his motherland, at the invitation of Qian Sanqiang, he served as the director of the second research group (radiochemistry group) of the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1952, the Institute of Modern Physics formulated the first five-year plan, which clearly defined the direction of fully developing radiochemistry and preparing conditions for the application of atomic energy with the research of nuclear physics as the center. Among them, the planning of the radiochemistry part was personally presided over by Yang Chengzong.
At that time, China's radiochemistry research work was still in its infancy, and Yang Chengzong personally compiled relevant teaching materials and opened relevant professional courses in the institute. Wang Fangding, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, once said that Professor Yang Chengzong's "Radiochemistry" is his enlightenment textbook for learning this emerging discipline.
Group photo of isotope workshop (yang chengzong in the fourth from the left in the row, Qian Sanqiang in the fifth from the left)
At that time, the scientific research conditions were very difficult, and Yang Chengzong led several young college students to gradually carry out some radiochemical research work from the repair of old and waste and the creation of experimental conditions. In 1953, Yang Chengzong and his assistants repaired the abandoned radon removal device of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which was very difficult to repair because of its long-term idleness and its own strong radiation. Yang Chengzong was well aware of the danger, so he only let his assistant do some auxiliary work, and he carried out repair work without any protective equipment.
The successful completion of the restoration work not only eliminated the safety hazards for Peking Union Medical College Hospital, but also obtained a batch of precious radioactive samples, which provided favorable conditions for the research of neutron physics experiments.
In January 1954, the Institute of Modern Physics was moved to Zhongguancun. Yang Chengzong personally presided over the design and preparation of the first radiochemistry experimental building in New China. The place, known as the "Small Building of Release", was the only laboratory in the country at that time that could perform radiochemical operations. It is from here that the first generation of radiochemistry talents in New China has emerged.
In order to popularize isotope applications, from the second half of 1956, the Institute of Physics held a workshop on the application of radioisotopes, and Yang Chengzong served as the class leader of the first workshop. The workshop was held for 8 consecutive sessions, and more than 500 professional and technical personnel were trained, laying a good foundation for the subsequent application of radionuclides in China.
In 1956, Yang Chengzong presided over the formulation of the specific contents of uranium-plutonium radiochemistry, radiochemical analysis and radiation chemistry in the "1956-1967 Science and Technology Development Long-term Plan", and advocated the preparation and application of radioactive isotopes into the planning, establishing the future development direction of the discipline of radiochemistry.
Serve the "two bombs" and help the country
In the 1950s and 1960s, in order to enhance its national defense strength, China put the development of science and technology with "two bombs and one satellite" as the core a top priority.
In late 1960, the Soviet Union withdrew all its construction experts, putting China's atomic energy industry in a difficult situation. In 1961, Yang Chengzong was transferred to the deputy director of the fifth institute (uranium mineral processing and metallurgical research institute) of the Second Machine Department, presiding over the business work.
The fuel used in the atomic bomb is uranium or plutonium, and to obtain enriched uranium, it is necessary to enrich nuclear pure uranium dioxide from uranium ore. China is a depleted uranium country, low uranium ore grade, complex types of deposits, the average uranium grade of one thousandth to three thousandths of uranium deposits accounted for about 1/2. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to develop uranium water smelting and purification technology suitable for different domestic uranium ore characteristics.
The first major scientific research task led by Yang Chengzong in the five institutes was to tackle the key research of nuclear fuel chemical analysis technology. At that time, the Hengyang uranium plant responsible for the production of uranium dioxide had not yet been built, and Yang Chengzong led five collectives to build a uranium smelting and production experimental plant.
After more than three years of hard work day and night, they produced sufficient quantities of nuclearly pure uranium dioxide and uranium tetrafluoride. At the same time, they have also carried out the analysis and testing methods of more than 20 kinds of trace impurity elements in uranium products, and established a set of quality inspection methods for metallic uranium. Among the dozens of high-tech scientific research achievements they have achieved, several of them can greatly reduce the production process of uranium and greatly improve the degree of purification, which not only saves a lot of money, manpower and material resources for the country, but more importantly, wins valuable time.
On October 16, 1964, China's first atomic bomb was successfully exploded, which embodied the painstaking efforts of Yang Chengzong and his scientific research team, as well as their contributions.
Yang Chengzong (fourth from left in a row) poses with five old colleagues
Devoted to education, founded a new university
In practical research work, Yang Chengzong pays great attention to the enthusiasm and initiative of students, and often lets young people make plans and experiments. Yang Chengzong will supervise and inspect at any time, put forward opinions, and improve students' ability to work independently.
In 1958, at the beginning of the establishment of the University of Science and Technology of China, Yang Chengzong served as the head of the Department of Radiochemistry and Radiation Chemistry of HKUST, responsible for the preparation of the department, and presided over the formulation of the relevant curriculum, syllabus and teaching plan. He once said that the greatest wish of the teacher is "blue out of blue and better than blue", and he is happy to see that students surpass himself.
Yang Chengzong (standing) guides students in experiments
In 1969, Yang Chengzong moved south from Beijing to Anhui with the University of Science and Technology of China. In 1978, he was appointed Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China, and later served as vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Sixth and Seventh People's Congress of Anhui Province and chairman of the Provincial Association for Science and Technology.
In August 1979, during a meeting held by the Anhui Provincial Bureau of Higher Education, Yang Chengzong heard his colleagues talking about their children's college entrance examinations, and he came up with an idea: Can we provide a chance for students whose scores are close to the college entrance examination admission line to further their studies?
On June 21, 1980, Guangming Daily published an article entitled "Yang Chengzong, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, advocates recruiting some self-funded college students", which was immediately supported by a group of educators. In August of the same year, the Anhui Provincial Government approved the establishment of hefei Union University, the first self-funded day university in New China.
In 1980, Yang Chengzong delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of Hefei Union University
Yang Chengzong served as the first president of Hefei Union University, he led five part-time staff, keen on innovation, the implementation of "joint office assistance, self-funded day study, not including distribution, merit-based recruitment" mode of running the school, became an innovation in China's higher education system that year. "People's Daily", "Guangming Daily", "China Education News" and other media have reported in detail many times, which has produced a certain degree of popularity at home and abroad.
On May 27, 2011, Yang Chengzong died in Beijing at the age of 100. His pioneering and innovative contributions to the development of China's nuclear science and technology undertakings and the cultivation of high-quality talents are remembered by people, and people will never forget this scientist who "added uranium" to the atomic bomb.
（1911.9-2011.5）
Radiochemist and educator
Source: Chinese scientists