The preliminary results of a program designed to evaluate methods for preparing uranium hydride from the various oxides of uranium are presented. The apparatus has been designed and constructed for the purpose of carrying out batch reductions under a variety of conditions employing calcium hydride, calcium metal and magnesium metal as the reducing agents. Since the separation of the alkaline earth oxides, present as by-products in the furnace products, promises to be the most difficult problem encountered in this investigation, a major portion of thetime during this past quarterly period has been directed toward the development of a suitable leach method. No investigation of the reduction methods has been possible to date because of the inability to obtain SF materials. A brief outline of the future work is included. (auth)

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Efforts made to employ the sigma welding process for plug welding Closures in spun-over fuel cans were unsuccessful. No combination of welding conditions was found which would produce satisfactory, leak-tight, plug welds in aluminum. (auth)

The commutation relations of an arbitrary angular momentum vector can be reduced to those of the harmonic oscillator. This provides a powerful method for constructing and developing the properties of angular momentum eigenvectors. In this paper many known theorems are derived in this way, and some new results obtained. Among the topics treated are the properties of the rotation matrices; the addition of two, three, and four angular momenta; and the theory of tensor operators.

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This report addresses the density-weight percent molarity conversion equations for Uranyl sulfate-water solutions at 25°C and between 100-300°C.

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This document provides the process specifications for the Triple Dip Process for Alpha Fabricated Uranium for production canning of uranium cores.

After almost four months elapsed time since product introduction into the RMA Line, it was pertinent to evaluate both process and equipment performance and arrive at a program for future improvement. The suggestions and recommendations provided are those of the Technical Section. In those passages made to acknowledge the views of the appropriate groups.

The object of the work described in this report was to adapt the laboratory procedures for precipitating and hydrofluorinating plutonium (IV) oxalate to plant equipment on 160 and 350 gram scale. This adaptation was done by making minor process changes in concentration, digestion time, rate of chemical addition, etc.

The present RMA Line has now progressed through the run-in period and is engaged in actual production. Considerable new data and experiences are available for use in an evaluation of the basis used for design of the equipment in regard to contamination control and the safety of operating and maintenance personnel. Research and development funds have been allocated to the improvement of the 234-5 process equipment. Thus it is desirable that an up-to-date basis be established for use as criteria for the design development of these improvements. It is concluded that remote control operation of all plutonium purification and fabrication equipment is ultimately desirable. However, until reliable, tested, remote-control equipment is available, the remote control requirement may have to be compromised on some steps of the process to allow non-remote or rubber glove operation in order to obtain equipment with sufficient operating reliability.

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This report presents information pertaining to the life of the reduction bombs in both the RG and RMM Lines of the Plutonium Purification and Fabrication operations in the 234-5 Building. The expected average life to rupture of the RG Line Bomb of carbon steel subjected to an internal pressure of 450 psig is ten hours at 750 C. The expected average life of the RM Line bomb of V-36 alloy is more than 100,000 hours at 750 C under the same operating conditions. These expected average life values do not include any calculated factor of safety. Since they are average figures, some bombs could be expected to have shorter life to rupture. The BG Line bomb of carbon steel is definitely hazardous under the extreme service conditions of 450 psig and 750 C. If the use of carbon steel is to be continued it is recommended that the bombs be redesigned to reduce unit stresses.

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Redox effluent for production was first processed in the 231 Building on February 4, 1952. Samples of process streams were taken after each purification step to evaluate the adequacy of purification processes in,the 231 and 234-5 Buildings and to provide close control of this material. Data regarding pile residence histories, radiation surveys of ``Sample Cans``, reduction yields, C/Q values, and product purity after purification steps were accumulated and are presented in this report to establish preliminary data which may be used to evaluate future process changes.

Several operations that are important to the process as carried out in Task III (Reduction) are performed by the mixer. In order to specify the process certain tests were made to study these operations and are discussed in this report. They include: Mixing Time, Mixer Discharge Rate, Mixer Holdup, and Mixer Capacity. A description of the test, conclusions and recommendations is provided.