Research and development progress is reported on plastics, analytical methods, radioelements, isotope separation and purification, reactor fuels and materials developmert, Ranger x-ray sensor program, and SNAP a. (M.C.G.)

Report documenting the design and testing progress of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Gas-Cooled Reactor Program.

The possible effects of a hydrogen atmosphere in reducing film deposition were studied in the large circulating loop and in rocking cell and pyrolytic capsule tests. At H/sub 2/ pressures of 200 to 400 psig no reduction in film weight deposited was observed in the loop tests, and in the pyrolytic tests film deposits were doubled. Heat conductivity of the films was much higher however. ln these high ash films the inorganic constituent was found to be alpha -Fe rather than the usual magnetite, which seems to account for the heat conductivity. Separation of benzene-insoluble material from high boiler and coolant was accomplished by centrifugation and by deposition on glass. The material was closely related to film formation. The nature of the inorganic and organic constituents of this material was examined in several analytical studies. Advances in the techniques of nuclear magnetic resonance, O/sub 2/ analysis, measurement of chromatograms, application of computers, and other methods were made. It was demonstrated by use of Fe5/sup 59/ that irradiated terphenyl under air attacks Fe rapidly and possibly the Fe is in solution as a chelate or other complex. It also was indicated by some tests that such a soluble form of Fe …