Session 5: Discussion

0. WEISER Osterr. Studienges. fllr Atomenergie, Austria

I want to point out that the less stable C2Hit occurred only in the beginning of a high temperature run, whereas in later measurements the saturated hydrocarbons (C2H6 and the stable CH^) prevailed. It thus seems that different hydrocarbons are dissolved in Na and are released in the relatively cold expansion tanks. There the unstable hydrocarbons react during a period of several days with sodium. The extent of nonequilibrium in the case of C2Hif can be shown by calculating the carbon activity from C2^:

2C + 2H2 =

Na

At 600K = 327°C AG ^ 11,000 cal/mol