Metal Oxidation in a Vacuum Tank
Abstract
Experiments were performed by a technique in which the metal is vaporized from an electrically heated container made of tantalum or tungsten. This technique was demonstrated to be efficient for quantitative metal-release studies. Eleven releases of aluminum into air have been made with metal-vapor flow rates of the order of 50 mg/sec at heater temperatures of 2400K, over the high-altitude chamber pressures from 13.6 to 0.2 Torr (35 to 60km altitude). All these releases generated visible luminosity, ascribed to the doublet B to doublet X AlO band spectrum. An approximate analysis of the spectral intensities indicates formation of AlO in the ground vibrational state, probably by the rapid reaction Al + O2 to AlO + O. Chemiluminescence caused by active species (O,O3) is not indicated. Attempts to demonstrate release of uranium were unsuccessful.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0768925
Entities
People
- Andrej Macek
Organizations
- ARCO