How Can I Safely Conduct Liquid Sodium Wicking Experiments in a Sealed Tube?

[dpage]

I need to test a system for liquid sodium wicking under high temperatures. The setup is as follows:

Solid sodium pellets are placed in a tube which is then purged of oxygen (replaced with Argon). The tube is sealed and then heated to 300-400 degrees Celsius and agitated with a shaking mechanism.​

My questions are the following:

Where can I find a good reference on setting up sealed tube experiments(i.e. materials, methods to seal the tube, etc...)?

It is preferable that the tube be transparent for observation. What type of tube might I use(is quartz o.k. with sodium at these High temperatures?)?

What additional safety precautions are needed in case the tube cracks? It seems like an outer metal cylinder is typically used for this, but this is not possible for an experiment involving agitation. Also we would like to be able to observe...Anything we can do besides have a fire extinguisher on hand??​

Much Thanks,
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[Astronuc]

Try reviewing this paper: T. Gnanasekaran, K.H. Mahendran, G. Periaswami, C.K. Mathews, H.U. Borgstedt, Stability of ternary oxygen compounds of molybdenum in liquid sodium, Journal of Nuclear Materials, Volume 150, Issue 2, October 1987, Pages 113-127, ISSN 0022-3115, DOI: 10.1016/0022-3115(87)90068-7.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TXN-480TP8C-1PN/2/bb6423754f402fbe9be88e35a892ce0f)

See if they used a quartz crucible with liquid sodium, or perhaps asked someone in the chemistry department.

It may be possible to use a quartz tube, e.g., a test tube that is then sealed at the top.

I'd purge the oxygen first before admitting the sodium, which is probably stored in oil or inert gas.

Peform the experiement in a glove box or chamber in an iner gas, e.g., argon.

If one cannot use a glass or transparent ceramic, then one would have to use something like a stainless steel, or perhaps aluminum tube. In that case, one would have to use X-rays to view inside, and that requires radiation protection/shielding.

Folks have looked at sodium bonded fuel elements.