Development of a modified diffusion type carbon activity meter for liquid sodium

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5256856

Barton, G. B.; Cook, W. V.; McCauley, D. L.

A high sensitivity automated carbon activity meter has been developed by combining elements of technology used in other instruments. The basic principle is the diffusion of carbon through an iron membrane driven by the concentration gradient between the sodium being measured and the sweep gas. The membrane used is similar to that used by Harwell workers, i.e., a coil of small diameter iron tubing with an oxide coating on the inner surface. A sweep gas of helium is used to pick up the carbon oxides generated by the reaction of carbon and iron oxide. The carbon oxides are converted to carbon dioxide in a copper oxide bed and measured with a gas chromatograph employing a helium ionization detector. This measuring system has an excellent signal-to-noise ratio and requires fewer gases than the flame ionization detector usually employed. The concentration of CO/sub 2/ in the sweep gas was in the range of 0.2 to 2 ppM when measuring carbon activity in a stainless steel system.

• Research Organization: Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC14-76FF02170
• OSTI ID: 5256856
• Report Number(s): HEDL-SA-1894-FP; CONF-800401-15
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
440101 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
440104 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- High Energy Physics Instrumentation
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ALKALI METALS
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON METERS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DESIGN
DIFFUSION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HELIUM
IRON
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
QUANTITY RATIO
RARE GASES
SODIUM
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS