WATER DECOMPOSITION BY FISSION FRAGMENT RECOIL ENERGY IN AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF URANIUM-THORIUM OXIDES

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1963 · Nuclear Science and Engineering (U.S.)

OSTI ID:4701723

Steele, L R; Gordon, S; Dryden, C E

Measurements of the rate of decomposition of water as a function of particle size and concentration of a slurry of fissionable and fertile fuel were made on 10 cc samples of slurry, kept in suspension by a mechanical stirrer, in a nuclear reactor. By passing nitrogen through the slurry during the irradiation, the radiolytic gases were stripped from the slurry before they could recombine. The average particle size of the solids, which contained 10% natural uranium, was varied from 8 to 50 in diameter. Concentrations between 300 and 1000 gm/ liter were studied. In order to correlate the experimental results, use was made of calculations of the fraction of fission recoil energy that escapes to the fluid in a slurry reactor. The results indicate that the vaiue of G(H/sub 2/)/ sub f/, the number of hydrogen molecules measured for every 100 ev of fission recoil energy absorbed by the water is about 2.1. Thls is also the value for G(- H/sub 2/O)/sub f/, the number of molecules of water decomposed by every 100 ev of fission recoil energy under steady-state conditions in a slurry reactor. (auth)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-025305
• OSTI ID: 4701723
• Report Number(s): TID-16934; UAC-6643; 0025-5639
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering (U.S.), Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 15; ISSN NSENA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY
FISSION PRODUCTS
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
HYDROGEN
MIXING
MOLECULES
NITROGEN
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIOLYSIS
RECOILS
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
THORIUM OXIDES
URANIUM
WATER