Procedure and equipment for regenerating cooling traps in liquid metal circuits

This invention refers to cold traps employed in a liquid metal system to precipitate and remove impurities. It particularly applies to sodium or sodium-potassium systems used for transferring heat in nuclear energy generating plants. A process was sought that would determine if the cold trap contained an excess of hydride or oxide type impurities and to remove such impurities from the cold traps without having to dismantle them. An improved apparatus has been developed that includes a cold trap and enables the impurities contained in the cold trap to be removed whilst maintaining the latter in the liquid metal system