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CaBr 2 HYDROLYSIS FOR HBr PRODUCTION USING A DIRECT SPARGING CONTACTOR
Experimental test apparatus
The process diagram (Figure 2) shows the details of the hydrolysis test apparatus. The four major
components of the test apparatus are: i) hydrolysis reactor; ii) furnace; iii) steam generator; iv) receiver
containing sodium hydroxide buffer solution for capturing HBr generated from the reactor.
Figure 2: Apparatus for sparging steam into molten CaBr 2 to investigate the hydrolysis reaction
Hydrolysis reaction test apparatus
The ambient-pressure bench-scale reactor consists of a one-end-closed mullite tube (OD 76 mm ×
ID 70 mm × 457 mm long), the other end of which is sealed with a stainless steel (SS) flange assembly.
CaBr 2 melt is contained in a quartz or sintered alumina crucible (70 mm diameter × 200 mm long),
which is placed inside the mullite reactor tube. The reactor tube is placed in a high temperature furnace
with electric resistance heat elements. Steam is sparged into the melt through a 6.3 mm OD diameter
tube (lance) made of SiC (Hexloy ® ) or sintered alumina. The gases exit the reactor near the top.
The temperature of the melt is measured with a type-K thermocouple immersed in the bath
through a protective SiC (Hexloy ® ) tube. The lance and the thermocouple tube can be raised or lowered
inside the reactor through Swagelok fittings with Teflon ferrules. A Teflon O-ring is used to seal
the furnace tube. The furnace is heated slowly to melt CaBr 2 and to reach the reaction temperature.
A Lindberg Blue-M Crucible Furnace (2.6 kW of heating) was used to maintain the melt and a Riemers
Model ABAH8E1F steam generator supplied low temperature steam.
272 NUCLEAR PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN – © OECD/NEA 2010