The Suitability of Density and Refractive Index Instruments to the On-Line Measurement of Heavy-Water Concentrations

Abstract

The requirements for heavy water analyses in Canadian power reactors have been compared to the capabilities of commercially available density and refractive index monitors. It has been concluded that although these instruments do not have sufficient sensitivity for leak detection or process control applications at the extremes of the concentration range, they could be considered for less demanding applications in the inter- mediate range (1-95 wt% D₂O). The Agar (Model FD800) vibrational densitometer was considered to be the most suitable of the 39 different instruments that were reviewed and laboratory tests have confirmed that its performance matches that predicted from the manufacturer's specifications.