Progress reports are presented for the following tasks: physical and mechanical metallurgy; plutonium fuels development; and special fabrication of plutonium and other radioactive materials.

Fabrication of internal reflector pieces for the SNAP-8 core is described. These reflectors were made of BeO, with and without the addition of Sm/sub 2/O/sub 3/ as a nuclear poison. Because of the high density and dimensional tolerance requirements, the complexity of shapes, and the comparatively modest number of parts to be produced (approximately 1000), the blanks were hot pressed and subsequently machined with diamond wheels and cores. In almost all cases, the specified density of 98% of theoretical was achieved. The low eutectic temperature in the BeO--Sm/sub 2/O/sub 3/ system of about 1420 deg C necessitated special pressing parameters, which were arrived at by experimentation. A rather coarse grit size (80) was used for the diamond wheels, which resulted in very little wear to the wheels, and an extremely low dimensional rejection rate on the blanks. Because of the toxicity of BeO, all equipment was enclosed, and was held under negative pressure. (auth)

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of December, 1961. Al general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations: Production and reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; and NPR project.

The deposition of film was studied in irradiated circulating loops, in which both grounded and insulated plates were in the irradiated coolant volume; the purpose of these tests was to determine the effect on rate of film formation of charges generated on particulate matter or coolant molecules in the radiation field. Heavier deposits were found on the grounded plates and currents up to 30 microamp were measured flowing to this plate. Tests in the rocking cell showed that techniques are now available whereby this apparatus can be used with confidence to screen film-forming characteristics of coolant compositions. It was demonstrated that iron percarbide (Fe/sub 20/C/sub 9/) could be made under conditions comparable to those in the OMRE. It was made from an iron chelate by carbon monoxide reduction and emphasizes the possible importance of oxygen containing chelate in the transport of iron and deposition of film. The nature of the impurities occurring in commercial Santowax was examined and some highly colored, oxygenated material isolated. The hexaphenyls produced in irradiation of m- and p-terphenyls and in the reaction of polyphenyls with hydrogen atoms was studied. Further work was initiated in the area of synthesis of reference hexaphenyls, but synthesis of new …

From abstract: "Describes Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment No. 3, a solid-moderated nuclear power plant with a horizontal reactor."