Actions for FISSION FRAGMENT IRRADIATION OF METHANE (thesis).

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FISSION FRAGMENT IRRADIATION OF METHANE (thesis).

Author
Farley, C. W.
Published
United States : [publisher not identified], 1962.
[Oak Ridge, Tennessee] : [U.S. Atomic Energy Commission], 1962.
Physical Description
microopaque : positive ; 8 x 13 cm

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Summary
A study was made of the fission fragment irradiation of methane. The effect of temperature on the reaction was measured, a reliable method of measuring the energy absorbed in the methane was established, and fission fragments present in the gas were identified. The irradiation equipment consisted of a stainless steel tube which was coated on the outer surface wtth enriched uranium oxide and located at the center of a somewhat larger cylindrical pressure vessel. This assembly was fitted with several thermocouples and surrounded by electrical heaters. The gas chamber and heater were enclosed by a aix-in.-dia., six-foot-long aluminum shell. It is possible to irradiate a stationary volume of gas or to continually circulate the gas during irradiation in thia equipment; however, this investigation was limited to the stationary cade. In a typical run, the cell was charged with methane, brought to reaction temperature, and placed adjacent to the reactor core face. The neutron beam from the reactor caused fissioning in the uranium, and about half of the resulting fission fragments escaped from the uranium fuel into the surrounding methane. Following irradiation and a two day cooling period, the gas was sampled and analyzed with a gas chromatograph. The dose received by the gaseous reactants could be reliably estimated either by cobalt wire activation or the data from the reactor instrumentation. At the two temperatures studied (165 and 300 deg C), the principal decomposition products of methane were hydrogen and small amounts of light hydrocarbons through C/sub 5/. While unsaturated hydrocarbons were detected, the amounts were considerably less than the corresponding saturated compounds with the same number of carbon atoms. At 300 deg C and a dose of about 1.5 watt-hours, the concentrations of nearly all of the hydrocarbon products passed through a maximum. At 185 deg C the concentrations of these products approached a maximum at the largest dose used. At a very low dose, the G-value of methane decomposed was about 18 at l65 deg C and 47 at 300 deg C. There was very littie difference in the G-value for these two temperatures at a high dose; a value of about 12 was calculated for about 2.5 watt-hours. Xe/sup 133/ was the only fission fragment found in the irradiated methane after several days cooling. (auth)
Report Numbers
TID-17046
Other Subject(s)
Collection
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission depository collection.
Note
DOE contract number: AT(30-1)-2133
NSA number: NSA-17-001527
OSTI Identifier 4774540
Research organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park.
View MARC record | catkey: 42250451