58. 



SUNDAY MORNING SESSION 

 September 11, 1955 



The meeting reconvened at 9:15 o'clock, Dr. Hess presiding. 



CHAIRMAN HESS: Mr. Struxness will continue. 



MR. STRUXNESS: We have made four "hot pot" experiments 

 that are designed to tell us whether or not self-fusion is possible. 

 The calculations of heat capacity and heat dissipation of various wastes 

 and different containers were tested empirically. The pot is built as 

 follows: the innermost container holds clay that had been calcined 

 previously at 600 degrees, with a heater in the center; the heater is a 

 pressed mica sheet wound with nichrome wire; surrounding the clay 

 container is an insulating container of 4 inches of lamp black, and 

 this, in turn, is surrounded by 8 inches of vermiculite. In the three 

 experiments depicted in the table the dimensions of the inner container 

 were changed. We tried to maintain the same insulation surrounding 

 the inner container. T^ represents the temperature at the center of 

 the inner container. T2 represents the temperature of the clay at the 

 exterior of the inner container. T3 is the temperature at the exterior 

 wall of the lamp black container. The outside container is a galvanized 

 can, the dimensions of -which are 4 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. 

 In "hot pot" No. 1 the inner container was 4 inches high and 12 inches 

 in diameter. In experiment No. 2 the inner container was 6 inches in 

 diameter and 2 inches high. In experiment 4 the inner container was 

 24 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. At 40 watts input the temper- 

 ature rose to about 385 degrees in approximately 4 days. With in- 

 creased power, the temperature rose rapidly and stablized at about 560 

 degrees Centigrade on approximately the 9th day. With further increase 

 in power, the temperature rose rapidly and stablized at approximately 

 730 degrees after the 14th day. If we plot the input in watts as a func- 

 tion of temperature, the curve suggests to the ceramists that a reason- 

 able temperature to attempt to achieve for fusion is 900 degrees C. 



Experiments 2 and 4 were performed to determine the effect of 

 areas to volume ratio on the energy required to heat the clay mass. 

 In experiment 1 this ratio is .8, and the calculated power is midway 

 between .01 and .02 watts per c.c. In experiment No. 2 this ratio is 

 slightly over 1.5, and the power input calculated is midway between 

 .06 and .07 watts per c.c. In experiment No. 4, where the dimensions 



