From introduction: "A detector system with the advantages of a liquid counter, but without the severe requirements on sample preparations, has been devised and is the basis of the present experimental investigation."

The following report is the ninth in a series of monthly reports covering the program with the objective of developing alloys having superior 680 F water and/or 750 to 900 F steam corrosion resistance, as well as developing higher strength alloys for current temperature ranges while still maintaining corrosion resistance comparable to that of Zircaloy-2. This report was made covering the period December 1 to December 31, 1960.

This report examines a uranium slug that has been produced by powder metallurgical methods and exposed in the 100-DR Pile and was deformed during pile exposure.

Introduction: "Because of the importance of the value of the transport mean free path of thermal neutrons in deuterium oxide, Kash and Woods proposed to redetermine this value in deuterium oxide (99.4 atom-percent deuterium, by an extrapolation method. Kash and Woods thought that the low value of the transport mean free path might be a source of error. This paper relates studies of procedures by which (1) boron material would be dissolved in high content deuterium oxide without adding foreign atoms, particularly hydrogen atoms which might adversely affect the test, (2) the boron content of the deuterium oxide solvent may be determined, (3) ion exchangers may be deuterized and de-deuterized, and (4) ion exchange may remove specific ions from solution."

This is a report of work completed during the period October 1, 1961, to December 31, 1961. The Program fuel element was completed and assembled. After extensive analysis, it was concluded that the fuel was satisfactory for use in the Program.

Abstract: An analysis of the lid tank neutron data for Pb-H2O and Fe-H2O is made. "Effective" fast neutron cross sections for the metals are obtained. This is based on the "one collision theory" of shielding. Values are 3.4 barns for Pb and 2.0 barns for Fe. These compare very well with those obtained by Albert and Welton based on other lid tank data and another method of calculation.

An abrasive cutoff machine design, based upon a previous model, (1) was undertaken to provide for the sampling of radioactive material. the design objective was; first, to provide samples for metallographic examination, second, to provide samples for physical and mechanical property testing, and, third, to meet the following design requirements: 1. Remote operation. 2. Airborne contamination control. 3. Radioactive waste collection. 4. Remote maintenance.

The object of this report is to acquaint the operator with the operational and technical aspects of the beam current integrator as well as the theory of the system operation. The design and operation of a beam current integrator are described, and the theory of operation is discussed. The instrument has two channels. The console channel is designed to measure the accumulation of charge received by a target during a period of a day no matter what the range used in the experimenter's channel. An analysis indicated that this unit will measure the accumulation of charge by a target to an accuracy of 0.1215% assuming that the constant error due to shorting the integrating capacitor is accounted for. The instrument is ranged to handle from 0.5 to 500 mu a of beam current. (M.C.G.)

The Homogeneous Reactor Test (HRT) is the experimental reactor facility (Frontispiece) being designed and constructed at ORNL as the next step in homogeneous reactor development between the 1-Mv HRE and a "full-scale" power station. The HRT will provide an integrated test at 5 to 10 Mv for the flowsheet and equipment designs on which the full-scale effort will be based. Furthermore, its design is such that several homogeneous systems which require essentially the same operating equipment may be tested with comparatively minor modifications of the original reactor installation. The reactor will be assembled in the building which housed the HRE, located in the experimental reactor exclusion area approximately one mile south of the oak ridge laboratory. (See figure 1) / It is the purpose of this report to provide information with which the hazardous aspects of this reactor may be evaluated. Briefly, it will be shown after a statement of purpose and a general description of the reactor that: 1. The design characteristics and equipment requirements are such that escape of highly reactive material from the reactor piping is unlikely. 2. Should the entire core and blanket contents suddenly escape from the reactor system, a seal-welded steel tank surrounding the …

A repeatable technique for preparation of thin, self-supporting copper films has been developed at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California. The process, done in a vacuum chamber, involves evaporation of copper by electron bombardment, and deposition of the copper on a detergent-coast glass substrate. The copper film is later removed from the substrate by immersion in water.

A portable GM survey instrument was designed and developed which consists of a single transistor blocking-oscillator high voltage supply, a dual transistor multivibrator count-rate meter and a standard 30 mg/cm² glass-wall GM tube.

Twenty-five hundred psi ring-type flanges, ring gaskets, bolts, and special connectors were tested for adaptability to the aqueous homogenous reactor. High pressure line closures were studied to obtain empirical data pertinent to the selection or design of a connector capable of withstanding sustained thermal cycling and high pressures encountered in the aqueous homogenous reactor. Specialized stress-strain measurement techniques yielded information concerning flange deformation, ring type gaskets, bolts, and special connectors. The results indicated that no totally acceptable connector is currently available. Most promising of the combination of components tested during this period was a 2500 psi ring type flange with an accurately machined octagonal gasket and Grade B-7 bolts.