Aerosols over melts of a corium–sacrificial materials system

Abstract

The behavior of a melt of a UO₂–ZrO₂–SiO₂–Fe₃O₄–CaO–Al₂O₃ system that is formed in the case of the dilution of corium (a melt of a UO₂–ZrO₂–Zr system) with sacrificial materials (a mixture of aluminum and iron oxides with Portland cement) has been studied. It has been found that, as a result of the evaporation of oxides, spherical aerosol particles are formed, the sizes of which have a trimodal distribution (1, 5, and 11 μm) and the composition of which depends on the nature of the atmosphere over the melt: 90.8UO₂ · 5.2SiO₂ · 4.0Fe₃O₄ in the atmosphere of nitrogen and 68.9U₃O₈ · 6Al₂O₃ · 2.5Fe₃O₄ · 22.5Na₂O in air.