Re: Whats the sodium for?

[Huw Powell <human@nh.ultranet.com>]

> I pictured the valves as being filled with the sodium, without room to
> slosh around.  If it can move around, what's in the empty space, a vacuum?
> Air?
> 
> I do believe the sodium is either a powder or a liquid, tho'.

Could be filled solid, when it melts, which it will at operating temps,
it is free to move around (convection) but I don't know if there is
space or if it is full.

>  There are
> warnings about cutting into sodium valves, because it's poisonous.  I
> would imagine a solid material, even if it was poisonous, would be pretty
> easy to handle safely compared to a liquid or powder.

Sodium is solid at room temp.  And very nicely flammable (HS chemistry
demo)!  It burns when dropped into water, I think due to the heat
produced by some of it dissolving getting it started.  So it is not to
be handled by amateurs or us kids at home...

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.thebook.com/human-speakers/audi-main.htm