This report is a progress report detailing operations and ongoing projects at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The report describes new developments with buildings and progress regarding ongoing experiments. The report includes photographs showing progress in the construction of the reactor and other images and figures that accompany the descriptions of projects.

Technical report describing the building of safety devices and features for the Oak Ridge reactor by the Reactor Safeguard Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission. Outlines the difficulties encountered in detailed design and construction operations for the facility.

This is a geological report on the uranium mine in Hack's Canyon, Mohave County, Arizona.

Technical report with short reports covering (1) Effect of radiation on water and aqueous systems; (2) Effect of neutrons on graphite; (3) Effect of radiation on solid compounds; and (4) Scattering, stopping-power, ion-pair production, etc.

Abstract. thorium can be precipitated as a salt of p-dimethylaminoazophenylarsonic acid at a pH of about 1.5. the precipitate, collected on a sintered glass filter is washed with dilute ammonium hydroxide to dissolve the dye. the amount of thorium is determined by measuring the concentration of the dye spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 450 millimicrons. Zirconium, which interferes, can be separated and determined using the same reagent in strong hydrochloric. the behavior of thorium metal upon treatment with various acids and upon fusion withKHSO4 is described. three satisfactory procedures are given for dissolving the metal with sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and by a potassium hydrogen sulfate fusion. The laboratory was presented with the problem of analyzing for a large number of elements in O2 metal. the results of a systematic study of methods for effecting solution of the metal are offered here since they may be of some interest and use to other laboratories. The four methods which effected complete solution of the metal are (1) Sulfuric acid method; (2) Fusion method; (3) Phosphoric acid method; and (4) Nitric acid-hydrofluoric acid method.

Abstract. Thorium peroxide was precipitated from thorium nitrate solutions containing varying amounts of sulfate ion and of hydrogen ion. The washed solids were analyzed both wet and dry. Analyses were made for thorium, peroxide oxygen, sulfate, nitrate, and water contents. X-ray powder photographs of the dried samples by W.H. Zachariasen showed the presence of only two phases. When precipitated from high sulfuric acid, the solid phase was isomorphous with Th(OO)SO4.3H20. More weakly acid solutions whose sulfate content was varied over wide limits [SO4--/Th(IV) (in solution before precipitation) = 0.005 to 67.0] yielded a solid, isomorphous with thorium peroxide nitrate and containing 3.0 to 3.8 peroxide oxygen atoms for each thorium atom. The sulfate content of this latter phase varied continuously between the limits SO4--/Th(IV) = 0.34 to 0.01 with nitrate ion present when the sulfate content was very low. This continuous variation in composition is in agreement with the previously proposed structure of this phase.

The following document is a compilation of quarterly reports from August 1946 to November of 1947 from the Biology Division of the University of Chicago.

The following documents were compiled into a quarterly report that was to be published in the Radiobiology Volume of the PPR. The following reports provide data from the Biology department of the University of Chicago between May and August of 1947.

Report discussing the results of an investigation of a test for statistical consistency of counter-scaler units.

Introduction: Measurements of polonium content in solids are usually performed by dissolving the material and preparing a thin sample which can be measured with one of the available instruments. A measurement of the radiation emerging from the thick sample should be sufficient to evaluate the polonium content. For this reason a calculation has been performed and the results have been compared with those obtained by the thin sample method. Obviously this proposed method using thick samples would be faster.

Abstract: "Tests have been developed for both the qualitative detection and quantitative determination of fluorine in chlorine. The qualitative test is made by passing the gas through manganous chloride. If the pink solid tubes brown there is greater than 0.5 percent of fluorine in the gas. The quantitative test is a modification of the Steiger and Marvin Test with oxidized titanium solution."

The following report covers the literature available in the Battelle library as well as the Atomic Energy Commission (New York, N.Y.) on the processing of monazite sands for thorium and rare earth contents.

The following report is a quarterly report by the Monsanto Chemical Company for liquid waste disposal research, covering the period between April 1 to June 30, 1949.

Report discussing specifications for the design of a waste heat steam boiler "for the purpose of generating steam to operate a condensing steam turbine electric generator from the clean hot radioactive air that has cooled the atomic energy reactor of [a] laboratory under a pressure less than atmospheric."

Report discussing two trial runs for a grannular resistance processing furnace, in which the goal was to produce high purity graphite. These tests were a continuation of a series of trial runs that had previously yielded inconsistent results.

From summary: "A method for the preparation of normal uranyl carbonate has been developed. Heretofore, this compound has been known only as a rare, naturally occurring material." The report further discusses the physical properties of the compound, its solubility in water, and its interaction with sodium carbonate.

Abstract: Exceedingly pure uranium tetrachloride was prepared for use in determining the physical constants of the compound. Measurements were obtained of the melting point and boiling point at pressures ranging from the triple point pressure to atmospheric pressure. Calculations were made of the vapor pressure equation for the liquid, the heat of evaporation, molar boiling point elevation, the vapor pressure equation for the solid, and the critical temperature.

Abstract: "A phase diagram for the uranium-cobalt system has been constructed, based on thermal, microscopic, X-ray and chemical data. The results indicate the existence of three compounds and two eutectics, one of which shows a lowering of the melting point of uranium by approximately 400 C."

A report discussing a method of computing the critical mass of U₂₃₅ contained in a water solution confined to a spherical core and surrounded by an infinite water tamper, a modification of said method in which the effect of the resonance fission and absorption is taken into account, and physical constants required to calculate the critical mass using these methods.

"Uranium foil 0.001 inch thick was made by rolling cast specimens at 600°C in a steel jacket and cold rolling the resulting 0.012-inch-thick strip to the desired thickness. The foil was of excellent quality, having no pin holes and only very slight cracking."

"The effect of a single vacuum sublimation of contaminated uranium tetrachloride, with fractional condensation of the vapors, was investigated to determine whether a high degree of purity would result. It was found that this procedure was an excellent and simple method for obtaining exceedingly pure uranium tetrachloride."

Report discussing experiments to determine if the tri-ether (referred to in the report as dibutyl carbitol or carbitol) "was susceptible of a high degree of reactivity when used as an extraction agent for the removal of uranium from aqueous solutions."

Abstract: An analysis of the improved Model Number 350 Process Monitor was made so that it could be determined if this instrument would fulfill the need for gamma radiation detection instruments in the production buildings of Y-12. The results of these tests indicated the possibility of marked improvement in the monitor characteristics with minor redesigns. After these improvements have been made, this instrument will be a satisfactory monitor for this area.

Abstract: "A polarographic method for the determination of tuballoy in thorium peroxide cakes in all sold medium was found to give satisfactory results. Fluorescent analyses on effluents containing thorium gave good results if the thorium content was kept below 1 mg/liter."