ORNL-2106 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

supporting plaque is loaded into the tube through
the sample-loading flange. The central portion
of the tube is then baked out under high vacuum
to remove volatile materials which might con-
taminate the surface of the sample. After the
furnace is adjusted to the operating temperature,
the sample is pushed to the center of the constant-
tern perature block with the so lenoidspera ted
sample-manipulating rods. Photographs are taken
of the sample as a function of time to ensure the
establishment of an equilibrium droplet. A photo-
graph of the sessile drop of NaF at 1025'C, taken
during calibration work, is shown in Fig. 2.3.9.
Sessile Drop of Waf ut 1025'
PERfOD ENDING JUNE 10, 1956
culated by using the tables of Bashforth and
Adams12 and the densities obtained by Miles.13
The initial experiments indicated no change in
surface tension when an atmosphere of helium was
admitted to the apparatus in which tests had been
made under vacuum. When tests were conducted
in vacuum, however, volatilization of ZrF, caused
large changes in composition of the drop; helium
atmospheres have been adopted as standard for
future tests.
Data typical of those obtained to date for
NaF-ZrF, melts whose initial composition was
53 mole % NaF and 47 mole % ZrF are shown in
Table 2.3.4. While the data of &e earlier ex-
periments are viewed with some uncertainty, the
relative agreement of the surface tension values
obtained from droplets of widely varying sizes
(as evidenced by the spread of sample weights
and x/z ratios) is gratifying.
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE AND DENSITY
OF FUSED LITHIUM, POTASSIUM,
AND CESIUM FLUORIDES"
E. R. Van Artsdalen
Electrical conductance and density have been
measured as a function of temperature for pure,
fused lithium, potassium, and cesium fluorides. A
newly designed bridge, in conjunction with a
special cell fabricated from platinum-rhodium
alloy, was used in the measurements. The results
of the measurements are expressed by the
equations listed in Tables 2.3.5 and 2.3.6. Similar
data were also obtained for several rare-earth
ons of the re-
119