The solubility of carbon in sodium over the range 600‐950° may be expressed by the equation: log sol. = 7.20‐5465/T where solubility is in ppm and T in °K.
From plots of carbon activity versus concentration, and from observations that oxygen does not affect carbon solubility, it is proposed that carbon dissolves in sodium as single atoms.
S Y N O P S I SExperiments have been carried out to demonstrate the mass transfer of elements in liquid sodium. The transferring species which can affect the microstructure and surface topography of certain materials can be broadly classified as two types, (a) those that exist in sodium as impurities such as oxygen or carbon and (b) those that are transferred via the liquid metal from the containment material. With the aid of suitable optical and electron photomicrographs and supporting X-ray, chemical and microprobe analysis four typical reactions are illustrated. These are :1. Oxidation of certain refractory metals and stainless steels in liquid sodium. 2. Solution of elements to cause surface transformations in stainless steel. 3. Selective leaching of metalloids such as phosphorus and silicon from nickel base alloys. 4. Mass transfer of carbon to produce decarburization and carburization of certain ferritic and stainless steels respectively.
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