Hydrogen radiolysis

Potential fusion appHcations other than electricity production have received some study. For example, radiation and high temperature heat from a fusion reactor could be used to produce hydrogen by the electrolysis or radiolysis of water, which could be employed in the synthesis of portable chemical fuels for transportation or industrial use. The transmutation of radioactive actinide wastes from fission reactors may also be feasible. This idea would utilize the neutrons from a fusion reactor to convert hazardous isotopes into more benign and easier-to-handle species. The practicaUty of these concepts requires further analysis. 

Hulls Handling. After the fuel has been dissolved, the residual pieces of zirconium cladding, referred to as hulls, are rinsed and removed from the dissolver vessel. The decay of activation products provides sufficient heat to ensure drying of the hulls and preclude hydrogen formation caused by the radiolysis of water. 

A mathematical model of the operating characteristics of a modem HLW storage tank has been developed (60). This model correlates experimental data for the rate of radiolytic destmction of nitric acid, the rate of hydrogen generation owing to radiolysis of water, and cooling coil heat transfer. These are all functions of nitric acid concentration and air-lift circulator operation. 

The attack on the aromatic nucleus by hydroxyl radicals is probably analogous to that by phenyl and methyl radicals, Eq. (34a,b). Evidence that the first step is the addition of hydroxyl radical to benzene, rather than abstraction of a hydrogen atom, has recently been adduced from a study of the radiolysis of water-benzene mixtures. The familiar addition complex may undergo two reactions to form the phenolic and dimeric products respectively, Eq. (34a,b). Alternative mechanisms for the formation of the dimer have been formulated, but in view of the lack of experimental evidence for any of the mechanisms further discussion of this problem is not justified. 

R is a low-molecular weight radical or hydrogen atom. A and B are monomers. The homopolymer (B)m arises from initiation by small radicals R and also by radiolysis of the monomer B. 

Owing to the reactions of the initial primary radiolysis products among themselves, as in Eqs. (11-58)—(11-62), it is usually necessary to add another reagent to remove the unwanted ones. For example, to study reactions of e alone, one must work in neutral or basic solution to avoid its destruction by HsO+ (see Problem 11-12). Also, hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms are removed from the system by prior addition of terf-butyl alcohol to give noninterfering products,... 

Irradiation of dilute aqueous solutions results in the interaction ofthe ionizing radiation with water molecules. The radiolysis of water produces hydrated electrons (eaq ", G = 2.8), hydrogen atoms (G = 0.6) and hydroxyl radicals (G = 2.8) which react with the molecules of the solutes. The use of special scavengers can convert one species to another, e.g. 

The total yield of OH radicals is 6.0 and hence the yield of sulfinic acid of G = 2.7 indicates that 45% of the OH radical produced in the radiolysis attack the sulfinyl group of MTMSO. The authors48 said that the residual 55% attack the sulfide S—C bond, but this claim ignores completely other routes, such as hydrogen abstraction, which was found for other sulfoxides45. 

Hydrogen, which is a major product in the radiolysis of most hydrocarbon polymers, is only a minor product in the radiolysis of poly(olefin sulfone)s, although it is of the largest yield between the minor products. Hydrogen is formed by H atoms combination or by an H atom abstracting hydrogen... 

Dihydrodithiin sulphoxides, synthesis of 243 Dihydrothiophene dioxides, reactions of 653 /(,/( -Dihydroxyketones 619 Dimerization, photochemical 877, 884 Dimethyl sulphoxide anion of - see Dimsyl anion hydrogen bonding with alcohols and phenols 546-552 oxidation of 981, 988 photolysis of 873, 874, 988 radiolysis of 890-909, 1054, 1055 self-association of 544-546 Dimsyl anion... 

Acetylene Ion. No evidence for the contribution of ion-molecule reactions originating with acetylene ion to product formation has been obtained to date. By analogy with the two preceding sections, we may assume that the third-order complex should dissociate at pressures below about 50 torr. Unfortunately, the nature of the dissociation products would make this process almost unrecognizable. The additional formation of hydrogen and hydrogen atoms would be hidden in the sizable excess of the production of these species in other primary acts while the methyl radical formation would probably be minor compared with that resulting from ethylene ion reactions. The fate of the acetylene ion remains an unanswered question in ethylene radiolysis. 

Radicals can react with bases via hydrogen atom abstraction or, more commonly, by addition to the pi bonds in the heterocyclic nucleobases (Scheme 8.1). These reactions have been extensively studied in the context of hydroxyl radical (HO ), which is generated by y-radiolysis of water. When DNA is exposed to the hydroxyl radical, approximately 80% of the reactions occur at the bases. Many base damage products arising from the reaction hydroxyl radical with DNA have been characterized (Fig. 8.2). ... 

The opposite change in electric conductivity of adsorbent occurs during adsorption of such active particles as atoms of hydrogen and atoms of metals [115, 124,125]. The similar result is obtained during radiolysis of hydrocarbons [126] due to formation and chemisorption of H-atoms. Both the rate of adsorption caused change in electric conductivity and the value of its stationary values are determined in this cases by all the processes accompanying chemisorption [127],... 

A 22 year old glass ampoule containing an aqueous solution of radon was under considerable pressure when opened and ejected the top vigorously. This was attributed to formation of hydrogen by radiolysis of the solvent water. 

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