HIGH FIELD CONDUCTANCE RESEARCH. THE WIEN EFFECT OF URANYL SALT SOLUTIONS

Solutions of uranyl nitrate and perchlorate of the order of 0.0002 molar concentration exhibit a decrease in conductance upon the application of high electrical fields, in contrast with the usual behavior of electrolytes. The decrease in conductance expressed as the high field conductance quotient, at 65 degrees amounted to 1.3% at a field of 200 kv/cm. The phenomenon was dependent upon temperature and pH. Both uranyl nitrate and perchlorate exhibited small positive Wien effects at 5 degrees, small negative Wien effects at 25 degrees with multiple crossover of the zero conductance quotient axis as a function of increasing fields, and a sizeable negative Wien effect at 65 degrees. The addition of acid decreased the magnitude of the negative Wien effect. (Author)