This report describes progress in testing nonaqueous methods for extracting uranium and vanadium from Western ores. Acetone leaches were found to be effective.

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."

"Engineering was continued on the development of sodium cooled, graphite moderated type reactors. General studies were carried out as well as studies specifically devoted to the following: a. full scale poser-only plant, b. thirty-mega watt pilot plant, the SGR, c. sodium reactor experiment, the SRE. This work consisted of theoretical analysis of various aspects of nuclear performance; economic investigations of different fuel element, cooling system and plant arrangements; and experimental investigations related to the properties of certain materials and to the development of components. Preliminary consideration was given to alternative reactor arrangements employing liquid hydrocarbon moderators and high temperature coolants other than sodium. In addition to a summary of the general design features of the SRD, a program was prepared outlining the proposed use of this installation.

The following report describes test experiments with an inexpensive practical phaseplate and to present in greater detail the theory of its operation in a schlieren optical system.

Report discussing the results of Project "A," which had three main components: "Effect of P2O3 Concentration on the Distribution Coefficient for Uranium Between Crude Phosphoric Acid and O.P.P.A.," "Effect of Chloride Concentration in Phosphoric Acid on the Distribution Coefficient for Uranium Between O.P.P.A. and Phosphoric Acid," and "The Use of Di-Isobutyl Carbinol in the Preparation of a Solvent to Extract Uranium from Phosphoric Acid (N.P.P.A.)."

Progress report on the status of various projects in the area of radioactive materials and nuclear power, covering the period from July to September 1953.

Two spectrophotometric methods are given for determining dissociation constants of dibasic acids. Each method is applicable for any degree of overlapping of the dissociation constants. Neither method requires a direct measurement of the extinction coefficient of any of the individual species that are in equilibrium with each other. A minimum amount of data is required in either method.

Progress is reported on (1) experimental breeder reactor program, (2) solvent extraction, (3) fluoride volatilization separation process, (4) elevated temperature separations, (5) denitration of uranyl nitrate in a fluidized bed, (6) development of analytical techniques, (7) processing and utilization of radioactive wastes.

In the a study of plutonium production, the analytical solutions of the various isotope production equations are difficult and time consuming when spatial variation of the flux is considered. In an effort to reduce the time and labor required to determine the integrated production of a given thermal reactor, a graphical method of analysis is presented. The method is based on the assumption that the reactor may be divided into a relatively small number of regions such that the flux in each of these regions may be assumed constant. The production of the given isotope for each region is then read from the appropriate graph. The total production is obtained by adding the productions of all the regions.

Experimental data pertinent to the evaluation of hazards involved in the exposure of personnel to tritium and tritium oxide are reviewed. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made with regard to the control of these hazards.

The prompt administration of zirconium citrate was at least twice as effective as the prompt administration of calcium disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CaEDTA) in preventing deposition of plutonium in the skeleton. On the other hand, CaEDTA was twice as effective as zirconium citrate in preventing the deposition of plutonium in soft tissues. The combined administration of zirconium citrate and CaEDTA was the most effective treatment for preventing the deposition of plutonium in the total rat. Zirconium malate offered no advantage over zirconium citrate, and appeared to be somewhat more toxic. Three doses of the zirconium salts over a four-day period were no more effective than a single dose.

The investigation to be described in this paper was one of several undertaken to resolve a curious discrepancy that had arisen in measurements of the diffusion length of graphite. Those diffusion lengths measured with the graphite layups of 100 Area piles were three to six centimeters higher than the value obtained with the Hanford Standard Pile. The fact that the 100 Area structures of the order of 40 ft. X 40 ft. X 30 ft, not including reflector, approximated an infinite medium, whereas sigma piles are of the order of 8 ft. X 8ft. X 10 ft., suggested the possibility that the diffusion length obtained by mensuration of relative fluxes and application of the conventional equations depended in some way on the size of the medium. Therefore, in order to determine if such a dependency actually exists, it was proposed to erect a series of graphite stacks of different dimensions and to make diffusion length measurements in each.

Temperature calculations have been made to aid in planning a production test for low level irradiation of the thin rectangular uranium wafers. These uranium wafers, under irradiation in the outer fringe sone, are expected to have a maximum temperature which is less than 10 C above the local water temperature.

The purpose of this manual is to present available data which can be used to determine disintegration rates of radioactive samples from counting rates measured under given circumstances with routinely used laboratory instruments. There is also brief discussion on the methods by which the various factors have been determined with reference to the accuracy with which they are known and to what extent the finally quoted disintegration rate is affected by these errors. Emphasis has been placed on those isotopes of particular interest to Radiological Sciences programs and the manual is intended as a standard through the use of which comparable values can be reported from all units in the Department.

The Hanford Remote Pipetter has developed into a very useful tool for routine pipetting by semi-skilled non-technical personnel. Radiation exposure to the operators has decreased to normal background levels as proper shielding exists between the sample and the operator. The results achieved by the pipetter have demonstrated its flexibility and simplicity of operation.

The feasibility of using Teflon bellows as the pulsing device for solvent extraction pulse columns has been previously demonstrated by life test of various sizes of Teflon bellows. This report describes a compact Teflon bellows pulse generator and drive assembly which was designed, built, and tested by the Chemical Development Unit. The pulse generator assembly is suitable for a number of applications where pulse generators are required to pulse solvent extraction columns.

Abstract. An analysis is made of a proposal to obtain neutrons of 15-25 Kev energy by moderating fast neutrons in aluminum and then reflecting off titanium. The fluxes calculated do not significantly exceed those obtainable from a standard antimony-beryllium photoneutron source. Two appendices treat aspects of the transport of neutrons through a slab of finite thickness.

Abstract. While the concept of a biological system as a balanced network of chemical transformations is not a new one, experimental definition of specific systems has been lacking. This paper defines theoretically and experimentally a number of such networks and their behavior and response to some limited environmental changes.

A fuel element assembly in which a uranium slug is bonded to an impact extruded aluminum can by means of aluminum-silicon eutectic, and in which the can is capped with a thin aluminum disc, brazed and welded to the can, may contain,(a) imperfections common to brazed and welded metal sections, and (b) inhomogeneities arising from oxidation of uranium, and alloy formation between uranium, aluminum and silicon.

The polymerization of vinyl monomers can be initiated by heat, ultraviolet radiation, and various catalysts. More recently, ionizing radiation has been shown to effectively initiate vinyl polymerization. However, polymerization in the solid state by ionizing radiation is not reported in the literature, although several papers have been published that describe briefly the thermal polymerization of divinyldiphenyl, Leuch's anhydride and in greater detail the peroxide catalyzed polymerization of acetaldehyde. The purpose of this note is to describe some experiments which demonstrate that crystalline acrylamide undergoes polymerization upon irradiation with γ-rays from an intense Co-60 source. Below its melting point the monomer shows little or no tendency to polymerize thermally.