This technical report reviews the general purposes and immediate goals of the Heat Transfer Group at BNL's study of the heat transfer characteristics of alkali metals with phase change in forced convective flow. This report also presents a brief description of the design and development of the test loop. Figures detailing findings accompany the report.

This technical report provides supplementary information on the Brookhaven nuclear reactor. It details added safety systems, tests, expounds on information included in the original report, describes liquid wastes system, and describes different procedures for operating the nuclear reactor.

This quarterly progress report discusses the ongoing work within the Solid State Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the period ending August 10, 1952. Projects discussed include radiation metallurgy, engineering properties, fused salts, crystal physics, and solid state reactions.

From abstract: "Data obtained in laboratory studies of the 'fumelses dissolving' of irradiated uranium are presented. Procedures for handling dissolver off-gases are proposed."

This quarterly progress report discusses topics of research and experimentation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, radio-organic chemistry, chemistry of separations processes, chemical physics, radiation chemistry, chemistry of the solid state, instrumentation, reactor chemistry.

Introduction: This note describes briefly the current concept of the experimental program on source development for mirror machines. There are two major facilities involved: (1) A comparatively small machine whose code name is "Guppy", and, (2) A larger d.c. mirror geometry whose code name is "Waldo."

The coefficients of thermal conductivity of aluminum-bismuth metal-to-metal bonds, and of aluminum and bismuth surfaces in contact under pressure, were measured.

Abstract: "Samples of dust are collected from the atmosphere with a Mine Safety Appliance Co. electrostatic precipitator and analyzed for uranium by means of a dropping mercury electrode apparatus. Two to three micrograms of uranium can be detected in a cell solution volume of 1 ml. Iron, nickel and chromium present in shop dusts do not interfere. Copper may interfere if present in excess but may be removed by a sulfide precipitation. Directions for preparation of cell solution and operation of the Polarograph are given. The polarographic method described may be used for determination of uranium in samples other than atmospheric dusts."

The following report records the study of albino rats subjected to beta rays and analyzes the skin reactions and metabolic patterns.

Abstract: "Several chemical and physical characteristics of over seven hundred charges are computing with their performance in the process units. No correlation is attainable."

The following report measures neutrons and gammas in solid B4C, as well as measuring H2O containing .5% boron by weight in the lid tank. Quantities measured in the following report in borated water are: thermal neutron distribution along the center line of the source (Z); fast neutron dose vs. Z; Gamma dose vs. Z; and neutron absorption by boron within solid B4C.

This is a progress report on the work of ore tressing and pyrometallurgical studies as well as a study of chemical work on phosphates. This report covers the month of November, 1947.

This report for September, 1947 describes progress regarding ore dressing and pyrometallurgical studies, chemical work, analytical work, identification work, and future work

Report discussing a study on casting techniques for the production of sound homogeneous extrusion blanks composed of aluminum-uranium alloys with 30 to 45 w/o uranium.

Information concerning the transformation kinetics of the gamma solid solution of uranium-base alloys is important. Accordingly, the metastability of the gamma phase was investigated for nine uranium-rich alloys of the U-Mo-Pt, U-Mo-Nb, and U-Nb systems. Samples were encapsulated in Vycor bulbs, solutions treated at 1000 decrees or 1050 degrees C, quenched to and annealed at temperatures between 600 degrees and 300 degrees C. Techniques employed to follow transformation included metallography, resistivity, X-ray diffraction and hardness. A difference exists between the TTT curves for the same alloy determined by different techniques. However, this is readily explained. The body-centered cubic gamma phase of the U-Mo and U-Mo-X alloys decomposes eutectoidally to form alpha and epsilon, an ordered structure. The eutectoid temperate is about 575 degrees C in the binary system. In the U-Nb system the gamma solid solution decomposes monometrically (or eutectoidally) to a product of alpha and another niobium-rich gamma phase. Alpha uranium has characteristic low solubility for either of the alloy components. The nose of the TTT curves for the U-5.1 wt % Mo and U-10 wt % Nb compositions exists at about 550 degrees C and 0.1 hour. Minimum times for transformation are longer for the other alloys. Rather …

"A series of high urania-content glasses were fiberized and examined for high-temperature strength properties. One glass, RX360 containing 60% U/sub 3/O/ sub 8/ by weight, had better high-temperature tensile properties than any glass previously reported. It was observed that many of the glasses studied separated into immiscible phases and that the fiberizable glass phase had lower U/sub 3/O/ sub 8/ content than the base compositions. A physical analysis of crystal structures of the devitrification products from the nuclear fuel glasses indicated that most of the crystals consisted of uranium oxide in a reduced state. By adding O/sub 2/ to molten glass, it was possible to eliminate most of this devitrification. By elimination of crystals, the fiberizing of the glass was more uniform and the glasses produced had more consistent physical properties."

The following report discusses measurements for slow and fast neutrons from cadmium coated ionization chambers.

From summary: "Petrographic, X-ray, and analytical studies were made on synthetic and natural zirconium minerals containing varying amounts of hafnium."

Abstract: "A method has been developed for the determination of sodium monoxide in sodium which depends upon the reaction between sodium and n-butyl bromide in hexane solution. The sodium monoxide does not react with the reagent and can be determined, after the addition of water, by titration. The method is comparatively rapid, requires only the simplest of equipment, and it has the advantage that both oxygen and other impurities can be determined on the same sample."

From summary: "Equations for determination of stage enrichment factor and screen area for the ideal case of 'zero back-pressure' are derived...Comparison with the theory of Benedict is made together with recommendations for application of his results for non-zero back pressure to the case under consideration."

Abstract: "In a circulating-fuel reactor, the circulation of the fuel cause a damping of power oscillations of the reactor. This is demonstrated under the assumption, that there is no mechanical vibration coupled with the oscillation of reactor power, and that the shapes of the hydrodynamic flow does not vary with time."

Abstract: "Crystal system, crystal habit, and principal refractive indices, of uranyl hydrogen phosphate tetrahydrate, uranyl ammonium phosphate trihydrate, and uranyl phosphate tetrahydrate are reported. A procedure for differentation of these three compounds using this data was developed."

Report discussing "the production of beryllium by the metallothermic reduction of its fluoride...Charges of BaF2 and Mg reacted smoothly when heated by induction in graphite crucibles and on continued heating the metal and slag separated fairly well. It was found that an addition of CaCl2 to the top of the charge facilitated the separation a great deal. Very clean, massive metal has been produced by this procedure."

Abstract: A study of irradiated and normal Teflon by means of X-ray diffraction, infrared analysis, gas evolution, and visual examination is presented and discussed.