Surface analytical investigations of the release behaviour of volatile fission products during simulated core meltdown accidents and of the reaction behaviour of iodine with silver surfaces

The report presents the results of the analysis of aerosol particles formed in simulated laboratory scale core meltdown experiments. In addition the interaction of silver surfaces with gaseous molecular iodine and with iodide and molecular iodine in aqueous solution was investigated. The composition of the aerosol samples and the progress of the reactions mentioned were determined by use of surface analytical techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy). The major information can be evaluated from X-ray photoelectron spectra which exhibit chemical shifts of the photoelectron lines which allowing a discrimination between different chemical species of the same element. The analyses showed that iodine is present in the aerosol particles mainly as caesium iodide and, to a smaller fraction, as silver iodide. During the adsorption of gaseous molecular iodine at metallic silver surfaces a closed silver iodide overlayer is formed. In aqueous iodide solutions one observes chemisorption of the iodide anions up to a coverage of the metallic silver surface of about half a monolayer. Molecular iodine in aqueous solution is completely converted to silver iodide which covers the substrate irregularly. (orig./HP)