Experimental study on the kinetic behavior and critical properties of sodium oxide crystals
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: To address the issue of sodium oxide crystallization and trapping within the cold trap of a sodium-cooled fast reactor, experimental and theoretical studies on the heterogeneous nucleation characteristics of sodium oxide in liquid sodium were conducted. A sodium oxide crystallization experimental system was established under high-purity inert gas protection. A removable crystallization test assembly with controllable temperature gradients was designed, and standardized electron microscopy characterization and statistical methods were employed to quantitatively measure sodium oxide nucleation behavior under various operating conditions. Based on classical nucleation theory, a sodium oxide heterogeneous nucleation kinetic model tailored to the liquid sodium system was developed, and the nucleation rate was cross-validated using two independent methods. The study clarified the synergistic regulation mechanisms of sodium oxide nucleation behavior by the main sodium temperature and supersaturation, and revealed the microscopic causes of non-uniform sodium oxide deposition within the cold trap. The relevant results provide a fundamental basis for the structural design and operational optimization of cold traps in sodium-cooled fast reactors.
Authors: Nanhao Shao, Abudusaimi Yakufu, Zewen Yao, Haiou Du
Institution: China Institute of Atomic Energy
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214685711