The use of organic cooling media for nuclear reactors operating at high power levels predicates the use of a coolant which will not react violently with metallic uranium in the event of a fuel element failure. This report describes the testing, and subsequent examination, of two pieces of irradiated uranium which were immersed in monoisopropylbiphenyl (MIPB) at high temperatures and pressures for periods of time up to twenty-five days. The uranium samples had different irradiation histories and cooling times. Similar experiments had been performed with unirradiated uranium by the Corrosion and Coatings Operation, and it was wished to determine whether irradiated uranium would react with MIPB in a different manner.

The purpose of this work has been to determine the production rate of tritium in fringe Li-Al alloy columns with the degree of precision necessary for economic analyses of such reactor loadings. These results are provided for use in such an analysis. This experiment indicates the production rate of tritium in the outermost fringe tubes to be T = 0.0216 M{sub E} = 0.175 M{sub t} where T = grams of tritium per full length (67 pieces) charge of Li-Al alloy material; M{sub E} = MWD/adjacent ton of E metal; M{sub t} = MWD/adjacent tube of E metal. The above values should apply for fringe loads utilizing greater or smaller quantities of E metal; that is, for isotope production loadings which are over or under-compensated from a reactivity standpoint. In the actual test load it was calculated that one gram of tritium and 13.5 grams of Pu were made for each 21.3 grams of U-235 burned up. During the same time interval the displaced uranium loading would have generated 24.3 grams of Pu and burned up 29.9 grams of U-235. The factor which seems to limit the accuracy with which these data can be interpreted is the ratio of the …

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Report that describes work performed by by the Hanford Laboratories Operation on the Plutonium Recycle Program during the Fiscal Year.

This report discusses the design and budget requirements for an enclosed firing facility. The use of a steel sphere installed in a tunnel facility is recommended. The system would incorporate handling equipment, ventilation, refrigeration and ice handling.