The behavior of melted lithium-aluminum control rod material from the
Savannah River K reactor, when contacted with water, was observed expe
rimentally at a scale corresponding to hypothesized accident condition
s. Although pressure pulses of up to 124 kPa were observed, and water
and steam were vigorously expelled from the experimental apparatus, no
steam explosion occurred. A number of experiments were performed, in
which accident phenomena that might initiate a steam explosion were si
mulated, without effect. Some chemical reaction was observed, indicati
ng that hydrogen was produced. These experiments were used to establis
h the safety of reactor operation in a recent campaign.