Premium
Thermal stability of chloroform in the steam‐condensate cycle of CANDU‐PHW nuclear power plant
Author(s) -
Lépine Louis,
Gilbert Roland,
Ouellet Lorenzo
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450700618
Subject(s) - nuclear engineering , nuclear power plant , chloroform , materials science , thermal power station , thermal stability , nuclear power , environmental science , waste management , chemistry , physics , engineering , chemical engineering , nuclear physics , chromatography
Abstract Analysis of samples taken at the Gentilly 2 (Québec) CANDU‐PHW (CANadian Deuterium Uranium ‐ Pressurized Heavy Water) plant after chlorination and demineralization revealed the presence of all four trihalomethanes (THMs) (CHCl 3 , CHBrCl 2 , CHBr 2 Cl and CHBr 3 ) and other unidentified halogenated volatile compounds. Among the THMs, chloroform was the major contaminant. A study of its thermal stability in water at different temperatures confirmed the degradation of the CHCl 3 molecule according to the equation CHCl 3 + H 2 O → CO + 3 HCl. The reaction follow a first order kinetics and has an activation energy of 100 kJ/mol. The estimated half‐life is six seconds at 260°C, the maximum temperature of the steam‐condensate cycle.