Lead-bismuth Eutectic Coolant Research Articles

Effect of cooling rate on the precipitation characteristics and growth mechanism of Bi3Ni in liquid lead‑bismuth eutectic

Austenitic stainless steel is a promising candidate structural material for direct contact components with lead‑bismuth eutectic (LBE) in lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR). However, the preferential dissolution of Ni from austenitic steels at low oxygen concentrations will lead to the precipitation of Ni-containing phases in the low-temperature parts of reactors, which has a risk of pipe clogging. In this paper, three samples, comprising one extracted from a corrosion tank after prolonged operation and two prepared, respectively, by quenching in liquid nitrogen and cooling in the furnace, were obtained to investigate the effect of cooling rate on the precipitation characteristics and growth mechanism of Bi3Ni that forms by the reaction of dissolved Ni and Bi in LBE. The results showed that rod-like Bi3Ni was found in all three Ni-containing LBE samples. As the cooling rate increased, the width of Bi3Ni decreased. The Bi3Ni in all three samples displayed a pseudo-hexagonal prismatic shape and had a typical faceted growth character; the cooling rate had no effect on the morphology of them. The crystallographic analysis showed that the growth axis of Bi3Ni was in the 〈010〉 direction, and the prism planes were composed of {001} and {101}. In addition, the precipitation of Bi3Ni inevitably increased the content of Pb7Bi3, which would in turn enhance the volumetric expansion of solid LBE samples. For the growth mechanism, Bi3Ni phases were controlled by the screw dislocation mechanism, with the step growth rate of the dislocation core being greater than that of the outer edges. Given the low cooling rate and low Ni content in the LBE coolant of reactors, the precipitation of Bi3Ni with a rod-like morphology seems to be inevitable.

Density functional calculation of adsorption and dissociation of PbPo molecule on Pd(100), Pd(110) and Pd(111) surfaces

Radiotoxic Po are produced and mainly formed as PbPo in lead-bismuth eutectic in lead-bismuth fast reactor and accelerator-drive systems during normal operation. Part of hazardous PbPo will evaporate and accumulate in the cover gas above the lead bismuth eutectic coolant. To ensure safe handling of the reactor, suitable cover gas filter systems should be fixed but few fundamental data on the interaction between PbPo and filter materials are reported. In this work, adsorption and dissociation of PbPo molecule on candidate filter material Pd surfaces were studied with the density functional theory. It was found PbPo is strongly chemisorbed on Pd(100), Pd(110) and Pd(111) surfaces with adsorption energies in the range of -1.14 eV to -5.36 eV. The activation energies for PbPo dissociation on these tree surfaces are all very small, which are one to two order of magnitude smaller than the recombination activation energies of the reversed paths. The calculated results indicate that strong chemisorption was found between PbPo and perfect low-index Pd surfaces and PbPo molecule is highly inclined to be as Pb and Po atoms on these surfaces.

Influence of Particle Beam and Accelerator Type on ADS Efficiency

Conditions that maximize the performance of an accelerator-driven system related to particle beam and energy and accelerator type are analyzed. The toolkit Geant4 simulated the interaction of protons and ions with masses up to 20Ne and energies from 0.2 to 2 GeV/n. The beam intensity considered is 1.5 × 1016 p/s. The core of the reactor is modeled as an assembly of fuel rods surrounding a cylindrical beryllium converter, with a criticality coefficient of 0.985 and lead-bismuth eutectic coolant. Lower enrichment generates better utilization of fuel (20% to 25% from the initial actinide mass can fission in a cycle keeping neutron damage in clad below 200 displacements per atom). Data on particle fluence and energy released obtained from the simulation are used to calculate total electric power produced and isotope evolution. Power spent to accelerate the beam depends on accelerator type and is calculated by scaling from data on accelerator efficiency for a reference particle. Optimal proton energy is ~1.5 GeV when the beam is accelerated in a linac with energy gain G ~ 14 and is 0.75 to 1 GeV in the case of a cyclotron (G ~ 12). Ion beams starting with 4He realize higher G values than protons: 20 to 50 in a linac and 15 to 35 in a cyclotron.

Development and validation of analysis code for spallation products behavior in LBE coolant system of ADS comparing with the distribution data in MEGAPIE spallation target

It is important to evaluate the inventories and the release and transport behavior of the spallation products (SPs) including polonium-210 in the Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) coolant system of Accelerator Driven System (ADS) for the safety studies of the radiological hazard both in the cases of normal operation and accident. Especially, the transport and deposition inside the coolant circulation system and the evaporation from the coolant to the cover gas are dominant mechanisms to evaluate the release and transport behavior of SPs. University of Fukui and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have been developing the computer analysis code TRAIL (Transport of RAdionuclides In Liquid metal systems) which predicts the time dependent behavior of SPs within the LBE coolant system of ADS for the wide range of operational events. The TRAIL code is intended to deal with the SPs transport, deposition and evaporation behavior mechanistically in consideration of a variety of the physicochemical configuration of SPs in LBE. The physicochemical configuration of the SPs is essential to evaluate the release and transport behavior because the physical and chemical properties such as the molecular weight, the density, the solubility in LBE and the vapor pressure depend on the configuration. The SPs behavior modelled in the code are based on the generalized flow network model including pipe and tank components. The flow network model is constituted from mass and energy conservation equations in consideration of the mass and energy transfer due to coolant flow effect, deposition or adsorption of SPs onto the structure surfaces, transport into the cover gas due to evaporation and radioactive decay of the radioactive SPs. The source term of both radioactive and stable SPs in the LBE coolant is given as input and the radioactive decay chain model for the radioactive SPs is implemented in the code to evaluate the effect of precursors on the SPs mobility. This paper presents the recent advancement status of the code development and the validation results comparing with the distribution data of volatile SPs in MEGAPIE spallation target.

Thermal-hydraulic study on the VHELP rod bundle of China initiative accelerator driven system

Wire-wrapped rod bundles are candidate fuel assembly forms for the Lead–Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) cooled reactor of China initiative Accelerator Driven System (CiADS). The hydraulic experiment of the 19-rod bundle has been completed on the Visual Hydraulic Experimental Loop Platform (VHELP) of CiADS. It is necessary to study the thermal–hydraulic behavior of VHELP 19-rod bundles, providing a reference for the safety design of CiADS. Since the wire structure forces the LBE coolant having low Prandtl number heat transfer characteristics to cross mixing in the channel, a turbulent heat transfer model that can simulate reasonably the Reynolds stress and Reynolds heat flux is needed in the numerical calculation. In the present work, an isotropic four-equation model, which considers the difference between the velocity field and the temperature field of LBE and allows simple zero-fixed-value boundary conditions to be imposed on the wall for turbulent kinetic energy k and its dissipation rate ε∼, temperature fluctuation kθ and its dissipation rate εθ∼, was applied to investigate the heat transfer phenomenon of VHELP rod bundles in CiADS project. Firstly, the flow pressure drop characteristics with different Reynolds numbers of the VHELP rod bundles were studied. The pressure drop data predicted by the present isotropic four-equation model agrees with the Cheng and Todreas relation but is higher than the hydraulic experimental results of unheated wire-wrapped rod bundles for the CiADS-VHELP project. Finally, the effects of flow rates and heat fluxes on the detailed thermal–hydraulic behavior of VHELP rod bundles with seven pitches were quantitatively analyzed. This study can reference the design and experimental project of the LBE-cooled wire-wrapped fuel assembly in CiADS.

CFD analysis of a wire-wrapped infinite sub-channel using temperature-dependent LBE properties

Once a significant number of LMFRs (liquid-metal cooled fast nuclear reactors) employ wire-wrapped fuel assemblies, considerable attention should be directed to this engineering feature. Given the many contact points and tight gaps, wire-wrapped fuel assemblies are difficult to analyze without numerical tools, out of which CFD (computational fluid dynamic) is the leading tool in the field. This work presents a CFD analysis of a wire-wrapped infinite sub-channel, based on MYRRHA’s fuel assembly geometry and with LBE (lead bismuth eutectic) coolant properties implemented as temperature-dependent polynomial curves. Periodic boundary conditions were applied, and the turbulence model chosen was k-w SST. All calculations were run on ANSYS Fluent R19.3. Following good engineering practices for CFD simulations, a GCI (grid convergence index) analysis was carried out, in order to ensure grid/mesh independence on the results. Ultimately, the main goal of this work was to evaluate if the implementation of temperature-dependent thermal-physical properties for LBE coolant would lead to any different results, when compared to the static properties. However, no significant result change was observed in this case, only an increase in computational time, which leads to the conclusion that for small domains with periodic boundaries, the implementation of temperature-dependent coolant properties is not justifiable.

Thermodynamic Assessment and Solubility of Ni in LBE Coolants

Lead–Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) is a heavy metal liquid alloy used as a coolant for compact high temperature reactors (CHTRs), fast breeder reactor (FBRs) and as a spallation target for ADS. In spite of many advantages due to its thermophysical properties, corrosion towards structural materials remains one of the major issues of LBE. In absence of any oxygen impurity, corrosion in LBE is driven by dissolution processes and the solubility of the main elements of the structural material alloys. Using the CALPHAD method, Thermo-Calc software, a thermodynamic database was developed to assess the interaction between Ni and LBE coolant. The solubilities of Ni in LBE, Bi and Pb liquids have been calculated at different temperatures.

Analysis of fuel performance under normal operation conditions of MicroURANUS: Micro long-life lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor

An innovative ultra-long-life lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE)-cooled fast reactor called MicroURANUS has been designed to prevent severe accidents. It utilizes the remarkable natural circulation capability of the LBE coolant. Furthermore, it can be operated at 60 MWth without refueling for 30 effective full-power years (EFPY). In this study, the thermal and mechanical performance of the highest linear power rod of MicroURANUS was evaluated by modifying the fuel performance code FRAPCON-4.0, which is the normal operation fuel performance code for light water reactors (LWRs). A plutonium generation model was added to consider changes in the physical properties of the UO2 fuel. Furthermore, mechanical and oxidation models of 15–15Ti were added, and the coolant models were modified for liquid metal. According to the unique design of MicroURANUS, a maximum low linear power density of 12.5 kW/m ensures that the highest linear power rod can operate below the safety limit. A low fuel temperature provides a large safety margin for fuel melting, as well as low-pressure build-up fission gas release. In addition, low inlet and outlet coolant temperatures of 250 and 350°C cause the cladding to display a low degree of swelling (a maximum diametral strain of 1.5%) while maintaining high mechanical integrity with negligible cumulative damage fraction (CDF). The modified fuel performance code for lead-cooled fast reactors exhibited the capability to be utilized for fuel performance evaluation and design feedback of MicroURANUS.

Optimization of an extra vessel electromagnetic pump for Lead–Bismuth eutectic coolant circulation in a non-refueling full-life small reactor

This study presents an optimal design of the coolant system of a non-refueling full-life small reactor by analyzing the space-integrated geometrical and electromagnetic variables of an extra vessel electromagnetic pump (EVEMP) for the circulation of a lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant. The EVEMP is an ideal alternative to the thermal-hydraulic system of non-refueling full-life micro reactors as it possesses no internal structures, such as impellors or sealing structures, for the transportation of LBE. Typically, the LBE passes through the annular flow channel of a reactor, is cooled by the heat exchanger, and then circulates back to the EVEMP flow channel. This thermal–hydraulic flow method is similar to natural circulation, which enhances thermal efficiency, while providing a golden time for cooling cores in the event of an emergency. When the forced circulation technology of the EVEMP was applied, the non-refueling full-life micro reactor achieve an output power of 60 MWt, which is higher than that achievable via the natural circulation method (30 MWt). Accordingly, an optimized EVEMP for Micro URANUS with a flow rate of 4196 kg/s and developed pressure of 73 kPa under a working temperature of 250 °C was designed.

Sub-channel analysis of lead–bismuth fast reactor fuel assembly with wire spacers for China initiative accelerator driven system

The lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled fast reactor fuel assemblies in China Initiative Accelerator Driven subcritical System (CiADS) are supported by wire spacers, and the sub-channel code is a significant analysis method to evaluate the thermal–hydraulic behavior of fuel assemblies. In this study, a sub-channel analysis code for LBE coolant is developed, in which the pressure drop model, turbulent mixing model, and heat transfer model based on LBE are added and applied. Besides, the heat transfer experience of the 61-pin fuel assembly and other sub-channel codes are chosen to verify. Finally, the full-scale simulation of CiADS fuel assembly is calculated. The results show that the thermal–hydraulic parameters of CiADS meet the design criterion. The optimized range of pitch to diameter ratio is 1.133–1.145 according to the thermal–hydraulic analysis. It is recommended to use 37-pin bundle for the numerical simulation simplification of full-scale rod bundles.

Flow and heat transfer evaluation of lead-bismuth eutectic coolant for nuclear power application

The understanding of flow and heat transfer characteristics of liquid lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) is essential for nuclear applications. In this paper, a corresponding experimental facility was established and a set of experiments of heat transfer of lead–bismuth eutectic flow in a circular tube was carried out, and a new heat transfer correlation was obtained through the experimental data to study the flow and heat transfer characteristics and evaluate a suitable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for LBE flow. The correlation fits well to the experimental data and the deviation of the correlation is smaller than 15%. At the same time, a CFD program was employed to evaluated the applicability of various turbulent models (standard k-∊, standard k-ω, SST k-ω) and turbulent Prandtl number models for LBE flows in the circular tube. Among the turbulence models, SST k-ω model shows the best agreements, the relative deviation of the simulation result from the experimental data is −3.0%∼34.7%. Among the turbulent Prandtl number models, Cheng-Tak model shows the best agreement, the relative deviation is 0.18%∼24.7%. This work provides valuable experimental data and CFD simulation method for liquid metal flow and heat transfer analysis.

Atomistic simulation of α-Fe(100)-lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) solid-liquid interface

Behaviors of body centered cubic (bcc) Fe(100)-liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) solid-liquid interface have been studied by classical molecular dynamics simulation (MD) with embedded-atom model potential under anaerobic conditions. Both static and dynamic simulation results indicate that Fe atoms prefer to bind with Bi atoms rather than Pb atoms. Trajectories of Bi and Pb perpendicular to the interface show obvious thermal vibrations of both liquid components at the time scale of about 0.9 ns for atoms Bi, and about 0.3 ns for atoms Pb, respectively. Temperature effect on penetration of liquid atoms into bulk Fe and dissolution of Fe into liquid in the solid-liquid interface system show that interactions between the bcc Fe(100) and liquid LBE mount perceptibly in the temperature range of 823 to 873 K. This result indicates that the critical temperature of the interaction between the bcc Fe(100) and liquid LBE is between 823 K and 873 K, which is consistent with the designed operating temperature for LBE coolant.

Prediction of Dissolved Impurities and Movement of Oxide Particles in the Primary Circuit of LBE Fast Reactor

To better understand the corrosion and corrosion products behavior in the primary circuit of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant reactor, the concentration distribution of soluble impurities and the transport of solid particles are investigated through the finite-element method. An axisymmetric model of the primary circuit of an LBE reactor was constructed to accelerate the calculation of the thermal hydraulic filed of the circuit. The saturation concentration of solute Fe, Cr and Ni in LBE coolant are identified through the equilibrium of their oxides and PbO, and the very different saturation concentrations of Fe/Cr/Ni in LBE will lead to significant element-selective corrosion. The migration of solid oxide particles in the primary circuit is also investigated by the Euler–Lagrange tracing model. The simulation shows that driving force for the movement of particles >100 μm is buoyancy, which lets particles float on a free surface, while particles <10 μm tend to suspend in coolant. However, the behavior of particles also depends on the formation position, the particles formed above the core have a high possibility of re-entering in the core.

Application of density functional theory to the adsorption of Po, Po2, PbPo, H2Po, and PoOH on Ag(1 1 1) surfaces for 210Po capture in lead–bismuth eutectic coolant environments

Recent nuclear power reactor designs propose the use of lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) as a coolant. However, neutron capture in liquid LBE produces the radioactive nuclide polonium-210 as 210Po and 210Po-based molecules, which must be sequestered via a capture process. While silver has demonstrated a high adsorption capacity for 210Po, the adsorption capacity of silver for the various forms of Po-based molecules remains uncertain. The present study addresses this issue by applying density functional theory to investigate the adsorption properties of Ag(111) surfaces with Po, Po2, PbPo, H2Po, and PoOH adsorbates. The results demonstrate that the adsorption capacities of Ag(111) surfaces for these forms of 210Po reside in the order of Po2 > PoOH > Po > PbPo > H2Po, and all of the adsorption processes are exothermic. In addition, the adsorption processes involved are also characterized based on the calculated density of states. The calculations demonstrate that strongly overlapping Po 6p, O 2p, and Ag 4p states result in the chemisorption of Po, Po2, PbPo, and PoOH on Ag(111) surfaces, while these states do not overlap strongly for the H2Po adsorbate, resulting in its physisorption on Ag(111) surfaces.

Oxygen transport analysis in lead-bismuth eutectic coolant for solid-phase oxygen control

Oxygen concentration control is the most promising technique to solve the corrosion problem in LFRs. A numerical study on the oxygen transport characteristics in the solid-phase oxygen control is carried out in this paper. The geometry is created using the Discrete Elements Method (DEM). The mass transfer and boundary layer theory is adopted to model the PbO dissolution process. The dissolution rate, mass transfer coefficient, and Sherwood number are then calculated for different flow conditions. The simulation models are validated by the experimental data obtained in the CRAFT experiment by SCK·CEN with a deviation of 15%. Based on the validated models, the parameter sensitivity analysis is carried out. The results show that the mass transfer coefficient does not change with inlet concentration, increases with the increase in mass flow rate and temperature. Finally, an oxygen mass transfer relation for a packed bed of PbO spheres in flowing Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) considering the temperature dependence and velocity dependence separately is obtained based on the numerical results. The relation could be used in a one-dimensional analysis code for the design of an LBE-cooled system with an oxygen control system.

Simulating the Production of Medical Radioisotopes in a Fast Thorium-Cycle ADS with SERPENT

Radiopharmaceuticals are used in nuclear medicine for diagnostic or therapeutic acts. The short decay half-lives of medical radioisotopes, especially those used for diagnostics, imply that they should be produced continuously and transported as quickly as possible to the medical units where they are used. Neutron-rich medical radioisotopes are generally produced in research reactors, like technetium-99m, lutetium-177, holmium-166 and iodine-131. On the other hand, proton-rich radioisotopes are produced via reactions with charged particles from accelerators like fluorine-18, gallium-67, iodine-123 and thallium-201. Beside this, innovative nuclear reactors are advocated as solutions to the issues of nuclear waste production and proliferation threats. Fast neutron, thorium-cycle and accelerator-driven subcritical (ADS) reactors are some of the most promising of them, proposed as safer fuel breeders and “waste burners”. This article examines the use of a fast thorium-cycle ADS with liquid lead-bismuth eutectic coolant for the production of molybdenum-99/technetium-99m and lutetium-177. Burnup simulation has been made with the Monte-Carlo (MC) code SERPENT. It is demonstrated that MC codes can advantageously be used to determine the optimal irradiation time for a given radioisotope in a realistic reactor core. It is also shown that fast thorium-cycle ADS is an economical option for the production of medical radioisotopes.

Analysis of unprotected loss of heat sink accident in compact high temperature reactor cooled under natural circulation of LBE coolant

India is developing 100kWth Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) to demonstrate the technology enabling high-temperature process heat applications such as hydrogen production. The reactor core is envisaged with 233U-Th based TRISO coated fuel particles and beryllium oxide moderator in prismatic fuel assemblies for high-temperature operation. The core heat is designed to be removed by lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant under natural circulation in vertical channels of CHTR at nominal power. The heat generated in the primary circuit is to be transferred to the secondary side using high-temperature sodium heat pipes. The design and safety of the prototype core necessitate comprehensive, integrated neutronics-thermal hydraulics analyses of anticipated transients. In this context, the Unprotected Loss of Heat Sink Accident (ULOHSA) at full power during the beginning of the core life cycle is investigated with indigenous 3D multi-physics code ARCH-TH. The key parameters defining neutronics and thermal-hydraulics of the core have been assessed in the steady-state as well as during the transient. The findings, along with the model of the simulation and the code validation are discussed in this paper. The analyses indicate that the core is being shut down passively due to reactivity feedbacks and the loss of heat sink leads to reverse flow of the coolant in the low powered channels during the transient. However, the coolant and fuel peak temperatures are observed to stay well below the leak-tightness limit of TRISO particles and boiling point of LBE, even considering the failure of shutdown systems. The modifications in the design of CHTR are also investigated to pacify the condition of flow reversal during such transients.

Design and hydraulic performance studies on an axial lead‐bismuth pump for GEN‐IV reactors

Lead or lead-alloy-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) have been proved to be the most promising generation IV reactors with high performance in neutron economy, thermal hydraulics and security features. When lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is used as coolant for LFR, the primary LBE pump is a key conveying equipment in LFRs, because it pumps liquid LBE to remove decay heat produced by core. The hydraulic performance and coolant flow velocity of LBE coolant pump is of great importance for the safety aspects concerning LFRs. This study aims to design an axial LBE pump firstly based on the theory of planar cascade and streamline method, then establishes three-dimensional model of the axial LBE pump and performs the simulation analysis based on Ansys CFX software to study the impact of design parameters on LBE pump hydraulic performance. The results show that the highest flow velocity occurs at the blade of pump and it increases with the rotating speed, while the pump efficiency and pump head appear up-down tendency as the flow rate increasing. The optimum rotating speed and the corresponding impeller parameters are proposed based on the theoretic and numerical studies. The research work will provide a theoretical basis and referred solution for the design of primary pump small module LFRs.

Determination of the lead oxide fouling mechanisms in lead bismuth eutectic coolant

An increased interest in the use of liquid metals for novel energy conversion systems is present today. The Accelerator Driven System (ADS) called MYRRHA under design at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) is an example of such an innovative system. The use of Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) as a coolant for this reactor implies that an accurate knowledge on the chemical properties of the coolant needs to be available. An important factor is the risk of coolant oxidation due to oxygen ingress in the system. Although the formation of lead oxide (PbO) is well understood, the deposition mechanism and kinetics are not yet studied. In this work the deposition mechanism of PbO on 316L stainless steel is investigated. The evolution of the dissolved oxygen concentration during thermal cycling of LBE indicates that fouling of isothermal surfaces by PbO can only proceed by particle deposition. On the other hand, the fouling of non-isothermal surfaces by PbO is dominated by crystallization fouling. A real-time measurement of the PbO deposition rate shows an asymptotic behavior of PbO crystallization fouling. By predicting the onset of PbO nucleation and subsequent growth, a kinetic model for the crystallization fouling is put forward. Quantitative agreement between deposition rate predictions and validation measurements is obtained around 673 K.

The analytical study of inventories and physicochemical configuration of spallation products produced in Lead-Bismuth Eutectic of Accelerator Driven System

Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) is used as a spallation neutron target and coolant material of Accelerator Driven System (ADS), and many kinds of elements are produced as spallation products via spallation reactions in LBE of ADS. It is important to evaluate the release and transport behavior of the spallation products in the LBE coolant system of ADS from the viewpoints of the radiological hazard both in the cases of normal operation and accident. The physicochemical configuration of the spallation products is essential to evaluate the release and transport behavior because the physical and chemical properties such as solubility in LBE and volatility depend on the configuration. The inventories and the physicochemical configuration of the spallation products produced in LBE have been investigated for an LBE loop to be installed in the ADS Target Test Facility (TEF-T) in the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The inventories of the spallation products in the LBE were estimated using the PHITS code based on the technical design specifications and the operation program of TEF-T. The physicochemical configuration of the spallation products in the LBE was calculated using the Thermo-Calc code under the conditions of the operation temperatures of LBE from 350 °C to 500 °C and the oxygen concentrations in LBE from 10 ppb to 10 ppm. From the results of the PHITS code evaluation, 18 elements were evaluated as the important elements from the viewpoint of these large inventories and the radiation hazards of their radionuclide. The results of the Thermo-Calc calculation showed the 8 elements of Rb, Tl, Tc, Os, Ir, Pt, Au and Hg were soluble in LBE under the all given conditions and any kinds of compound were not formed in LBE. It was suggested that the oxides of Ce, Sr, Zr and Y were stable as CeO2, SrO, ZrO2, Ce2O3 and Y2O3 in the LBE. The validity of these results was discussed compared with the previous experimental and theoretical work.