Radiolytic Production of Fluorine Gas from MSR Relevant Fluoride Salts
Lance Davis (NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten, TU Delft - RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials)
Ralph Hania (NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten)
Dennis Boomstra (NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten)
Dillon Rossouw (NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten)
Florence Charpin-Jacobs (NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten)
Jan Uhlir (Research Centre Rez Ltd.)
Martin Maracek (Research Centre Rez Ltd.)
Helmut Beckers (Freie Universität Berlin)
Sebastian Riedel (Freie Universität Berlin)
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Abstract
Radiolytic fluorine gas production at temperatures of 40°C to 60°C was investigated for the fluoride salts LiF, BeF2, UF4, ThF4, and 71.7LiF-16BeF2-12.3UF4 (FliBe-UF4) by gamma irradiation of powdered samples using spent fuel elements from the High Flux Reactor (HFR) Petten as the irradiation source; work of a similar nature was previously performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the period 1965 to 1995. Gamma irradiation was conducted for just over 41 days, with total absorbed gamma dose ranging from ~45 MGy for the lightest salts to ~170 MGy for ThF4 and UF4. By measuring the gas pressure within salt-filled capsules during irradiation, it was possible to quantify radiolytic gas production for all salt samples except UF4. Production rates are reported as the salt G-values, measured as number of fluorine molecules produced per 100 eV of energy absorbed (molecules F2/100 eV). The G-values of the salts were found to be G(LiF) ~0.004, G(BeF2) ~0.009, G(ThF4) ~0.021, and G(FLiBe-UF4) ~0.005.