Use of Frozen Beads of a Mixture of Mesitylene and Meta-Xylene with Properties of Rupert’s Drops in Cryogenic Neutron Moderators

Abstract

Feasibility of using frozen Rupert’s drops–solid frozen beads made from a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons with high strength properties–in bead cryogenic neutron moderators is experimentally studied. It is shown that if a new modification of the dosing device with a high discharge rate (~6 pcs/s) and standard parameters of pneumatic transportation is used, solid frozen beads made from mesitylene and meta-xylen can be loaded into the chamber of a cryogenic moderator five times faster without being destroyed during transportation.