Abstract

The oxygen concentration of sodium in equilibrium with uranium-25% plutonium oxide fuel was measured at temperatures of 650 to 900 deg C for fuels with oxygen-to-metal ratios of 1.90, 1.94, and 1.97. The oxygen concentration in sodium at the three-phase Na -- MO/sub 2-x/ Na/sub 3/MO/sub 4/ (M = uranium plus plutonium) equilibrium has also been measured for the same temperature range. This three-phase equilibrium was established by reacting mixed-oxide fuel with sodium to which Na/sub 2/O had been added. The oxygen concentrations in sodium were determined by the vanadium-wire equilibration method. The oxygen concentration in sodium at the three-phase equilibrium varied from ~ 0.1 to 0.4 ppM in the temperature range investigated. Oxygen concentrations in EBR-II primary sodium, which have been measured by the same method, vary from 0.4 to 0.9 ppM oxygen depending on the cold-trap operation. These values indicate that the sodium--fuel reaction product, i.e., Na/sub 3/MO/sub 4/, is stable in sodium at the temperatures (<1000 deg C) and oxygen levels present in EBR-II. (auth)

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