Investigation of evaporation characteristics of polonium and its lighter homologues selenium and tellurium from liquid Pb-Bi-eutecticum

The evaporation behaviour of polonium and its lighter homologues selenium and tellurium dissolved in liquid Pb-Bi-eutecticum (LBE) has been studied at various temperatures in the range from 482 K up to 1330 K under Ar/H2 and Ar/H2O-atmospheres using γ-ray spectroscopy. Polonium release in the temperature range of interest for technical applications is slow. Within short term (1h) experiments measurable amounts of polonium are evaporated only at temperatures above 973 K. Long term experiments reveal that a slow evaporation of polonium occurs at temperatures around 873 K resulting in a fractional polonium loss of the melt around 1% per day. Evaporation rates of selenium and tellurium are smaller than those of polonium. The presence of H2O does not enhance the evaporation within the error limits of our experiments. The thermodynamics and possible reaction pathways involved in polonium release from LBE are discussed.