The development of a high heat flux heater for use in corrosion rate and stress-rupture tests of fuel cladding materials in a sodium environment is described.

In some recent experiments the ion density in a plasma was measured as a function of radial distance from a d-c arc source of ions for the magnetic field intensities from 2500 to 14000 oersted. The diffusion coefficient appeared to very inversely as the square of the magnetic field strength, D~1/H2. The absolute value of D was shown to be approximately that which would be predicted by the collision diffusion theory when account is taken of the shorting effect of the end walls. The purpose of this report is to continue the examination of ion diffusion in a plasma and field experimentally the relation between the diffusion coefficient and the neutral gas pressure for a constant magnetic field.

Absolute (p,n) cross sections have been measured for Ti47, V51, Cr52, Co59, and Cu63 at energies between 4 and 6.5 Mov. These data plus earlier measurements of the cross section for inelastic proton scattering have been used to estimate total proton absorption cross sections for V51 and Co59. An optical model calculation using parameters giving a good fit to elastic scattering measurements predicts an absorption cross section in good agreement with the measurements for Co59. For V51, some sets of parameters gave good agreement with the measured absorption cross section, but the fit to the elastic scattering data was only fair.

An ion exchange testing program was completed on Gunnar acid leach liquors and pulps. A standard column system and a resin-in-pulp system, both using anion exchange resins, were investigated. The Gunnar leach liquors are readily amenable to the recovery of uranium by ion exchange.

One of the primary reasons for operating the high pressure KER loops is to obtain information concerning water quality control characteristics for recirculating water cooled reactors. The KER-1 loop is predominantly carbon steel and approximates the water quality conditions specified for the New Production Reactor (NPR).

In answer to the question, "How well do we know the composition of the fuel material for the PRTR start-up tests?", the analytical data on the PRTR fuel elements and other fuel elements which were fabricated by similar processes was gathered and analyzed. The results of this analysis are presented.

"Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey are reported for the Milbank Quadrangle, Minnesota; North Dakota; South Dakota. Statistical data and areal distributions for uranium and uranium-related variables are presented for 662 groundwater and 319 stream sediment samples. Also included is a brief discussion on location and geologic setting." (from Abstract)