The basic information about the path of carbon in photosynthesis is reviewed together with the methods that were used to discover it. This has led to the knowledge of what is required of the photochemical reaction in the form of chemical species. Attention is then directed to the structure of the photochemical apparatus itself insofar as it is viewable by electron microscopy, and some principoles of ordered structure are devised for the types of molecules to be found in the chloroplasts. From the combination of these, a structure for the grana lamella is suggested and a mode of function proposed. Experimental test for this mode of function is underway; one method is to examine photoproduced unpaired electrons. This is discussed.

As a result of a wide variety of studies on photosynthesis in living plants and plant fragments, together with the development of photosensitive, photovoltaic junctions in inorganic crystals and the discovery and exploration of semiconduction in organic molecular substances, a suggestion has been made that the primary quantum conversion process in photosynthetic tissues involves the creation and separation of charge to opposite sides of an asymmetrically-constructed lamina, followed by the trapping of both the electrons and the holes which then lead to their respective chemical processes, namely reduction of carbon dioxide and oxidation of the water to oxygen. This has led us to study model systems as semiconductors with a view to creating an organic photovoltaic junction.

The flowsheet proposed by KAPL for the treatment of alkaline nitrate radiochemical processing waste has been modified to include an ion-exchange step for the decontamination of cesium, strontium, and other cationic fission products. In laboratory studies of the electrolysis steps in a nitrate reduction cell, synthetic alkaline waste, 0.55 to 4.83 M total electrolyte, was decontaminated from ruthenium by factors of > 210. The nitrate of 3.0 M waste was reduced to ammonia with current efficiencies of 100%. Power consumption was 4.7 kwh/lb of nitrate reduced. Significant factors affecting the rate of ruthenium decontamination were temperature, cathode area, cathode current density, and electrolyte concentration. Those affecting nitrate reduction current efficiencies were the cathode current density, electrolyte concentration, and stirring rate. In an acid-base membrane cell, reusable nitric acid as well as sodium hydroxide was regenerated. However, such a cell is less economical to construct and operate than the nitrate reduction cell. At least 5 kwh of power is required to transfer 1 lb of nitrate from ORNL type waste. In addition, the greater complexity of the acid-base cell makes it less adaptable for remote control.

We have prepared what we call a bonded segmented fuel element. This fuel element has characteristics which make it an attractive prospect for high specific power operation at relatively low uranium temperatures. The fuel slug is made up of six longitudinal segments; each segment being bonded to the aluminum webbing and tubing that encases it. The pertinent information for this irradiation is summarized along with fabrication details and hazards, thermal aspects and calculations, and figures.

The demand for filtered water will be increased when I and E slugs are charged into the reactors. Some of the filter plants are near their ultimate capacity. One of the quickest ways of obtaining increased amounts of filtered water for production use is to restore to normal process service certain filters which are now isolated for exclusive drinking water use. These drinking water filters are isolated because the process water filters are being treated with Separans, a material which has not been approved for use in drinking water. A suitable approved substitute material was found and tested in the model filter at B Area. A full scale plant test was run at F Area for the purpose of confirming the results obtained in the model filter plant. The results of the full scale toot are presented in this report.

An outbreak of ruptures occurred in the KE Reactor during September, 1956. Radiometallurgical examination of three of these ruptures was requested by the IPD Reactor Fuels Operation. Examination of a fourth rupture which occurred in December, 1956, was later included in the original request. This report presents the results of the requested examination work.

This report provides recommended tube flow limitations for B and D Pile downcomers.

The design basis is composed of requirements and conditions for the design of the reactor plant (composed of the reactor and heat dissipation system). Its intent is to insure that the final product meets the economic, safety, and technical objectives of the project. The design basis is dependent on the ground rules, objectives, technical criteria, and practical design considerations. This document is being issued with the understanding that these items are not yet firmly established in all respects, and therefore, the numbers put down here are subject to change. Consideration of the spectrum of probable changes that might be made leads to the conclusion that the numbers here are close to the final ones and are satisfactory as a basis for the initial stages of design. Some numbers are omitted because of insufficient data at this time.

This report details activities of the Nuclear Physics Research Operation for the month of August 1958.

A study has been made to determine the adequacy of the KER-1 loop emergency dump valve in protecting the fuel elements against damage during a loop casualty. In a functional test of the radiation trip procedure of the KER-1 loop during a reactor outage, it was found that the indicated process water flow was much lower than expected. Subsequent inspection of the emergency dump valve showed that the dump port was considerably blocked with rust and scale, creating a flow restriction. As it was thought that inadequate cooling water flow could result if a similar situation occurred when the reactor was at normal power levels, a study was made of the loop and the adequacy of the valve to handle casualties.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of August, 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; and Financial Operation.

The swelling behavior of unalloyed clad uranium operating with a cladding surface temperature of 250--350 C and fuel temperatures from 450--750 C is of importance for Hanford`s fuel element development work. To obtain information on the effect of cladding restraint, exposure, and the above temperatures, on uranium swelling rates, a series of experiments is proposed for irradiation in Hanford reactors. The experimental assemblies consist of uranium fuel rods supported concentrically in an aluminum capsule. Surrounding the fuel rod is an annulus of liquid NaK to serve as a heat transfer agent.

In accordance with the agreement in a meeting with Aerojet-General Nucleonics representatives, certain information is presented for use in planning the first DR Gas Loop test run. Included are the following: estimates of test section power prediction uncertainty and variation during run; estimates of limiting test section design powers and {Delta}P`s, presented as variables versus maximum loop flow as a parameter; spatial relation between in-pile tube and reactor surroundings; and a representative relative flux traverse in the sample space. The user of this information is cautioned to study the discussion to fully understand the significance of what is presented.

This report, for August 1958 from the Chemical Processing Department at HAPO, discusses the following: Production operation; Purex and Redox operation; Finished products operation; maintenance; Financial operation; facilities engineering; research; and employee relations.

On June 6, 1958, KW Operations had HCR Channel No. 16 borescoped to determine why this rod could not be inserted on May 3. Observations revealed 3X balls in the channel and horizontal separation between graphite blocks ranging from 1/2 inch to 2 1/4 inch. The separations were noted only in the first fifteen feet in from the outer skin and in the last five feet of the channel. As a result of these findings and past operational difficulties with certain HCR`s at both KE and KW Reactors, a program of measurements is in progress to determine the extent and causes of the stack displacements. From measurements and observations so far obtained, the following conclusions may be drawn about separations at locations of consequence to the loss of 3X balls from channels: Side to side horizontal separations totaling two to three inches have been observed at both reactors. The significant separations lie outside of the VSR pattern and in the lower half of the stack. The VSR pattern does not include the six outer ball 3X channels. There are probably a few small separations (< 1/2 inch) at the outer VSR`s. There are probably no separations large enough to admit …

The author tells about some of the most interesting aspects of recent research on the synthetic transplutonium elements. The amount of recent information on these elements is obviously too much to cover completely in the time that has been placed at my disposal. Therefore, in planning my talk, I have attempted to choose those topics which have the broadest implications for the whole transuranium field of research. Although much important and interesting research is, of course, being done in many laboratories, I have chosen examples mainly from the work in our own laboratory, the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley. I shall cover this information about the known transplutonium elements, listed in Slide No. 1, by discussing them in order of increasing atomic number, and I shall conclude with some thoughts concerning the prospects for elements with higher atomic numbers than any that have been produced and identified up to the present time. For purposes of orientation, Slide No. 2 shows the position in the periodic table of the presently known and the future transuranium elements. The transplutonium elements through element 103, together with the five preceding elements, are members of the 'heavy rare earth', or actinide …

Experimental conversions of UO/sub 3/ to UO /sub 2/ to UF/sub 4/ in batch fluidized bed pilot-scale contactor have demonstrated that conversion rates approaching those predicted from basic kinetic data are attainable. Further studies with fluidized beds in columns incorporating a very slight taper show that solids mixing with attendant product contamination is reduced by a factor of ten as a direct result of the taper. Experiments with tapered fluidlized beds made the design of continuous (as opposed to the step enrichment of a multistage contactor) countercurrent contactors practical. Design procedures, in generalized form, are presented. The procedures take into consideration heat transfer, mixing losses, reaction kinetics, and chemical equilibria. (auth)

The design and constructlon of the shielding facility at Battelle are described. This facility consists of an open pool with a fission plate, an instrument bridge and tower, a control room, and radiation-detection instruments. The shielding pool is located at the end of the thermal column of the Battelle Research Reactor (BRR). The fission plate is 28 in. in diameter and contains approximately 3.5 kg of U/sup 235/. The plate was fabricated from three pieces of highly enriched U and clad with about 25 mils of 2S Al. It generates about 24 w during steady-state reactor operation. The fission spectra of neutrons and gamma rays produced by the fission plate are free from appreclible background radiations. The ratio of thermal to epithermal neutrons impinging upon the fission plate is approximately 67, indicating a low fast-neutron background. Assuming an average energy of 2 Mev for backgrounnd gamma rays results in a ratio of thermal-neutron flux to gamma flux of 16. (auth)

Tungsten in uranium--tungsten alloys is determined by precipitating the tungsten from a cold sulfuric acid solution using alpha -benzoinoxime and cinchonine as the precipitating agents. The precipitate is dgnited at 800 deg C and weighed as WO/sub 3/. Results of 94 determinations on known samples containing 20 to 40 milligrams of tungsten in the presence of 1 to 8 grams of uranium showed an average recovery of 100.1% with a standard deviation of 0.7%. (auth)

A 2 M NaOH solution is a satisfactory scrubber for the Darex off-gas if sufficient nitrite is present to reduce all hypochlorite to chloride. If there is not enough nitrite produced in the scrubber solution by the reaction of nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen sesquioxide with sodium hydroxide, more reducing agent must be added. Both nitrite and sulfite rapidly reduce hypochlorite in basic solution. The scnubber solution can be used as long as it remains basic. (auth)

The deflection and stresses of a medel of the Yankee lower core support structure, conslstlng of two clrcular perforated plates joined together by a clrcular reinforclng rib and 76 cylindrical spacers, were obtained experimentally. The relationships between the tests on the model and reference design were determined by an application of dimensional analysis. Experimental investigations are described in which various design parameters were determined and the structural rigidity of the assembly was obtained. A rational methed of semitheoretical analysis of the problem is suggested based on Reissner's small deflectlon theory which takes into account the effect of transverse shear and normal stress deformation. (auth)

A convenient method was developed for the ultracentrifugal analysis of all classes of serum lipoproteins which requires a minimum of time, work and materials. The method utilizes the principle of flotation of lipoproteins in a medium of greater density than their own hydrated density. In this procedure the isolation and the analysis of lipoproteins are done in a NaBr mediumn of density 1.20 g/ml. The advantages of this procedure are compared with other available methods, and its application to studies on serum lipoprotein is discussed. (auth)

Following HRT runs 13 and 14, several metallic specimens were removed from the high pressure system and transferred to the Materials Section for examination. Samples of scale accumulation in the high pressure system were also taken after these runs and transferred to the Materials Section. Examination and analyses of these several specimens are still in progress, but some of the results are available and are reported. A possible interpretation of some of these results indicates that a considerable quantity of nickel was contained in the core scale accumulation at the end of run 13, and that part of this nicke1 was dissolved in solution during run 14. The amount of nickel which may have come from this source during run 14 roughly accounts for all of the increase in nickel in solution durirg run 14. A significant amount of uranium was also found in the sca1e accunnulation in the core after run 13. (auth)

Reactors designed for economic operation in stationary central power plants were studied. Certain objectives presented themselves as being of particular importance if an attractive economy were to be obtained. These objectives arei use of ceramiic (UO/sub 2/) rather than inetallic fueI; use of natural uranium; high conversion ratio; long fuel life; natural convection for heat transfer; production of superheated steam; a high power output; a limited size of pressure tank; fueI handling without use of Iarge pressure lid; and moderator control. Three different typcs of power reactors are prcsented; a natural uranium, boiling heavy water reactor with forced clrculation; a boiling reactor with natural convcction and sIightly enriched fueI; and two heavy water boiling and superheating reactors using slightly enriched fuel and natural conveetion. A chapter on sumarized operating dath indicates the degree of success achieved In meetIng the objectives. (D.E.B.)