THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A SODIUM PURIFICATION APPARATUS

摘要

An apparatus for purifying sodium by a process involving hot gettering and distillation through a fractionating column has been constructed and operated with success. Gettering is accomplished by the use of zirconium foil at 650°C. The guttered sodium is distilled at 550°C through a packed column equivalent to two theoretical distillation plates. The product sodium has fewer and lower concentrations of metallic impurities than does a 99.999% pure spectroscopic grade sodium chloride standard. The oxygen content of the sodium product ranges downward from 5 ppm to 0.6 ppm, the latter value having been obtained in the latest preparation.