Neutron emission during heavy water electrolysis

• Published in: International journal of radiation applications and instrumentation. Part A, Applied radiation and isotopes Vol. 43; no. 8; pp. 1041 - 1044
• Main Authors: Soyfer, V.N., Goryachev, V.A., Salyuk, A.N., Sergeyev, A.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 1992; Pergamon
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Chemistry; Electrochemical methods; Exact sciences and technology; Heavy water; Emission spectrometry; Electrolysis; Experimental study; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0883-2889
• DOI: 10.1016/0883-2889(92)90224-3

The emission of fast neutrons by recoil protons (0.02–3 MeV energies) during the electrolysis of heavy water was studied experimentally using iron, stainless steel, titanium, titanium-vanadium, platinum and palladium cathodes. Normal low-background measuring equipment was used (sensitivity up to 3 × 10 −4 Bq/mL) with a proportional methane counter, volume 4 L, pressure 2 × 10 5 N/m 2 which was calibrated with a californium source of 2 × 10 7 n/s; the registration efficiency was 7%. Statistical processing of the results using the Student criterion failed to detect any neutron flux of more than 0.04 n/s from our various conditions of electrolysis with a reliability of 99.9%.