December 1967 Brief 67-10502

ICY AEC-NASA TECH BRIEF

TES

AEC-NASA Tech Briefs describe innovations resulting from the research and development program of the U.S. AEC or from AEC-NASA interagency efforts. They are issued to encourage commercial application. Tech Briefs are published by NASA and may be purchased, at 15 cents each, from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151.

Reaction of Steam with Molybdenum Is Studied

A comprehensive report has been prepared on the samples, results, and a comprehensive discussion of reaction of flowing steam with refractory metals (in the experiment. particular molybdenum), in the temperature range of 11000 to 1700-C. The reaction products are hydro- Notes: gen gas and the vapor of (M003)n and M002(OH)2. I. This information should be of interest to physical The surface of the molybdenum shows a thin film of chemists and mechanical engineers concerned with lower oxide, which is oxidized by the steam to a high pressure steam system design. volatile oxide. 2. Additional details are contained in Journal of The experimental method entailed passing steam Physical Chemistry 69, 1965, p.1638-1640. over an inductively heated sample of metal, then 3. Inquiries concerning this innovation may he di- passing the products through a condenser to remove rected to: the aqueous solution, and collecting the gas evolved in Office of Industrial Cooperation a eudiometer. Argonne National Laboratory It was found that with constant steam flow, the 9700 South Cass Avenue reaction rate is constant. The velocity constants, Argonne, Illinois 60439 expressed in gram atoms of molybdenum reacted per Reference: B67-10502 square centimeter of surface per minute, vary from Source: M. Kilpatrick and S. Lott 6 x 10- at 1700° to 2 x 10- 6 at 1130°C. To deter- Chemical Engineering Division mine the effect of flow rate on the velocity constant, (ARG-295) quartz tubes of different diameters were used with specimens of different diameters, allowing 'for varia- Patent status: tions in flow rate. A tenfold change in now rate resulted in less than a factor of 2 in velocity constant. Inquiries about obtaining rights for commercial use The report, Studies of Metal- Water Reactions at of this innovation may be made to: High Temperatures: 1. The Condenser Discharge Mr. George H. Lee, Chief Experiment: Preliminary Results with Zirconium, by Chicago Patent Group L. Baker, Jr., R. L. Warchal, R. C. Vogel, and U.S. Atomic Energy Commission M. Kilpatrick, ANL-6257, Argonne National Labora- Chicago Operations Office tory, May 1961, includes information about the ex- 9800 South Cass Avenue perimental procedures, apparatus, preparation of Argonne, Illinois 60439

Category 03

This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the Atomic liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this Energy Commission and/or the National Aeronautics and Space document, or warrants that the use of any information, apparatus, Administration. Neither the United States Government nor any per- method, or process disclosed in this document may not infringe pri- son acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any vately owned rights.