RECOIL CHEMISTRY AND RADIATION CHEMISTRY OF HIGH ENERGY TRITIUM NUCLEI IN n- PENTANE

Technical Report · Fri Sep 30 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4057211

Currie, L A

Chemical effects of high energy tritium nuclei recoiling into n-pentane molecules were investigated in order to determine the chemical fates of the tritium projectiles and the pentane target molecules. The former result in labeled molecules characteristic of hot atom (recoil) chemistry; the latter, in non-labeled degradation products characteristic of radiation chemistry (radiolysis). Analysis was performed by gas chromatographic separation followed by detection with a thermal conductivity cell and a GeigerMuller counter. Radiolysis studies demonstrated that hydrogen and olefins were more important among the products than was previously realized. Significant enhancement of radiation decomposition was achieved by energy transfer from a surface and from an inert gas. In contrast to radiolysis products, recoil-labeled products consisted largely of hydrogen and paraffins. Detailed studies of the energy dependence of recoil labeling led to hot-collision and statistical labeling theories which give a moderately complete picture of the recoil prccess. A new, and remarkably efficient, method of tritium-labeling was discovered in the course of the research. (auth)

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
• NSA Number: NSA-15-023527
• OSTI ID: 4057211
• Report Number(s): ARL-TR-60-310; AD-250262
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALKENES
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLLISIONS
COUNTERS
DECOMPOSITION
DETECTION
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
MOLECULES
PENTANE
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIOCHEMISTRY
RECOILS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACES
TARGETS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM