We offer to your attention a preprint “Operating principles of a device for producing dispersed moderating material in the form of balls for cryogenic neutron moderators” P18-2024-60, issued by the JINR Publishing Department. The authors are Ivan Litvak, Maksim Bulavin, Roman Chepurchenko, and Aleksey Galushko, researchers of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at JINR.

Manifestation of plastic properties and high adhesion when heating a frozen ball of mesitylene-m-xylene mixture: a) ball at 80 K; b) plastic deformation of the ball under tweezers pressure; c) adhesion of the ball to the tweezers

A study of the main physical effects occurring during the production of dispersed moderating substance for cryogenic neutron moderators of the IBR-2M research pulsed reactor (JINR, Dubna) was conducted. The results of the study can be used as a basis for developing a more advanced dispersed moderating substance that will increase the safety of operation of the cryogenic moderator complex and improve its performance characteristics.

The investigation has been performed at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at JINR.

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