A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

The conceptual model for WIPP dissolved concentrations is a description of the complex natural and artificial chemical conditions expected to influence dissolved actinide concentrations in the repository. By a set of physical and chemical assumptions regarding chemical kinetics, sorption substrates, and waste-brine interactions, the system was simplified to be amenable to mathematical description. The analysis indicated that an equilibrium thermodynamic model for describing actinide solubilities in brines would be tractable and scientifically supportable. This paper summarizes the conceptualization and modeling approach and the computational results as used in the WIPP application for certification of compliance with relevant regulations for nuclear waste repositories. The WIPP site contains complex natural brines ranging from sea water to 10x more concentrated than sea water. Data bases for predicting solubility of Am(III) (as well as Pu(III) and Nd(III)), Th(IV), and Np(V) in these brines under potential repository conditions have been developed, focusing on chemical interactions with Na, K, Mg, Cl, SO{sub 4}, and CO{sub 3} ions, and the organic acid anions acetate, citrate, EDTA, and oxalate. The laboratory and modeling effort augmented the Harvie et al. parameterization of the Pitzer activity coefficient model so that it could be applied to the actinides and oxidation states …

Progress is reported on sorbent characterization for coal gasification. Operational procedures and the data acquisition system is described.

Research results performed on the utilization of sorbents for emission control in coal gasification are described. A data acquisitions system was acquired. Major operational procedures are discussed.

This quarterly report covers activities during the period from July 1, 1996 through September 30, 1996 on the development of carbon products precursor materials from coal. The first year of the project ended in February, 1996; however, the WVU research effort continued through August 14, 1997 on a no-cost extension of the original contract. PETC chose to exercise the option for continuation of the projects and $100,000 became available on August 9, 1996. The objective for year two is to focus on development of those carbon products from coal-based solvent extract precursors which have the greatest possibility for commercial success.

This Safety Evaluation for Packaging (SEP) provides evaluations necessary to approve transfer of the 8,000 gallon Liquid Waste Tank Car (LWTC) from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) to the 200 Areas. This SEP will demonstrate that the transfer cif the LWTC will provide an equivalent degree of safety as would be provided by packages meeting U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. This fulfills onsite transportation requirements implemented in the Hazardous Material Packaging and Shipping, WHC-CM-2-14.

Boiler slagging and fouling as a result of inorganic impurities in combustion gases being deposited on heat transfer tubes have caused severe problems in coal-fired power plant operation. These problems are fuel, system design, and operating condition dependent. Conventional slag and ash removal methods include the use of in situ blowing or jet-type devices such as air or steam soot blowers and water lances. Pulse detonation technology for the purpose of removing slag and fouling deposits in coal-fired utility power plant boilers offers great potential. The detonation wave technique based on high impact velocity with sufficient energy and thermal shock on the slag deposited on gas contact surfaces offers a convenient, inexpensive, yet efficient and effective way to supplement existing slag removal methods. These detonation waves have been demonstrated experimentally to have exceptionally high shearing capability important to the task of removing slag and fouling deposits. Several tests have been performed with single shot detonation wave at University of Texas at Arlington to remove the slag deposit. To hold the slag deposit samples at the exit of detonation tube, two types of fixture was designed and fabricated. They are axial arrangement and triangular arrangement. The slag deposits from the utility …

Although a wide variety of degradation modes can occur in aqueous environments for corrosion-resistant metallic materials, localized corrosion such as pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, SCC, and hydrogen embrinlement (HE) is considered to be the primary mode. The evaluation of the susceptibility of candidate corrosion-resistant container materials to pitting and crevice corrosion is well underway using electrochemical polarization techniques described in the Activity Plan E-20-43144. The proposed activity (E-20-56) is aimed at evaluating the SCC behavior of these materials in susceptible environments using the linearelastic-fracture-mechanics (LEFM) concept. The mechanical driving force for crack growth, or the stress distribution at the crack tip is quantified by the stress intensity factor, K, for the specific crack and loading geometry. The critical stress intensity factor for SCC, K_ISCC for candidate materials will be evaluated in environments of interest, and their comparisons will be made to select the waste package inner container material having an optimum SCC resistance.

During this project period, work was done in the following areas: (1) multi-parameter sorting of dipoles for large superconducting rings; (2) study of tune modulation; and (3) integrable polynomial factorization for symplectic map tracking. A list of reports that give research status and results is given.

This report discusses the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) convened July 8-19, 1996, in Geneva, Switzerland.