Seversk Technological Institute of National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”

V. L. Sofronov, Professor, Dean of Technological Faculty, e-mail: sofronov@ssti.ru
A. A. Galata, Postgraduate Student
P. A. Smolkin, Postgraduate Student
A. S. Buynovskiy, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Technology of Contemporary Energetics’ Materials, Technological Faculty

This article contains the results of studies of the development of radiometric monitoring and control of the process of sublimation-desublimation process of volatile fluorides metals, which allows to control apparatus filling with solid desublimate, including uranium hexafluoride. The essence of the radiometric method is in registration of gamma or neutron radiation from the layer of solid product when working with radioactive substances, or passing through the layer of radiation from external sources while processing non-radioactive substances. We measured the thickness of desublimate and its distribution over the desublimator surface by zone control of the intensity of gamma or neutron radiation from the apparatus. Control and regulation of the desublimation process was carried out on these desublimation sensor signals of gamma or neutron radiation, changing the temperature of the device along its perimeter, so that by the final moment of time there was complete filling of the apparatus working chamber, and the thickness of the layer of solid desublimate became the same throughout its the working surface. It is shown that the method of measuring the product amount, deposited on the desublimator surface, based on the gamma or neutron radiation registration, allows us to study the distribution of desublimate on the apparatus surface to determine the factors influencing the desublimation and automate the processes of sublimation-desublimation and thus, to increase the degree of the desired product desublimation from the gas stream and filling machine with solid product, desublimate purification from volatile impurities, i. e. effectively manage the processes of sublimation-desublimation.

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