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U.S. Department of Energy
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EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT ON DISTRIBUTION STUDIES BETWEEN MELTS AND SOLID PHASES USING RADIOACTIVE TRACERS

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4173532

The exchange of sodium ions between solid aluminosilicates and molten salts was studied with the aid of a sodium-22 tracer. For sodalite (Ns/sub 4/Al/ sub 6/Si/sub 6/O/sub 24/Cl/sub 2/) a nd noselite (Na/sub 4/Al/sub 6/8Si/sub 6/O/ sub 24/SO/sub 4/), which have the same t hreedimensional network structure, the rate of exchange is shown to depend on diffusion in the solid. The sodalite diffusion coefficient, D, is estimated to range from 3.3 x 10/sup -11/ cm/sup 2/ min/sup - 1/ at 320 deg C to 12 x 10/sup -11/ cm/sup 2/ min/ sup -1/ at 400 deg C. Activation energy for the diffusion of sodium ions in solid sodalite is 12.5 Kcal mole/sup -1/ and in noselite is 9.7 Kcal mole/sup -1/. Artificially prepared sodalite exchanges more rapidly than the natural mineral, presumably because it consists of small crystallites that present a larger surface to the liquid phase. Preliminary experiments suggest that the exchange of sodium between solid tungsten bronzes and either molten salts or amalgams can be studied by similar techniques. (auth)

Research Organization:
Connecticut. Univ., Storrs
NSA Number:
NSA-14-021433
OSTI ID:
4173532
Report Number(s):
TID-6243
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English