The elements Sn, Mg, Ti, Zr, Hf, Si, Cd, and U were alloyed with plutonium to determine their effect on stabilization of the beta phase. Zirconium was found to be the ' most effective. Kinetic studies were conducted on Pu-Zr alloys having 0.24, 0.65, and 1.7 at.% Zr contents. The beta to alpha transformation in the Pu-Zr alloys was somewhat similar to that in unalloyed plutonium. The main difference being that time, temperature, transformation curves of the alloys were shifted to the right as the zirconium concentration increased. It was determined that the amount of beta phase retained at room temperature increased as the zirconium concentration increased. The minimum amount of Zr needed to stabilize the beta phase of plutonium at room temperature was determined to be 2.0 at.%. A 2.4 at.% Zr addition stabilized the beta phase of plutonium at atmospheric pressure from room temperature to 265 deg C. During mechanical property testing it was determined that the stabilized beta Pu-2.4 at.% Zr alloy was brittle from room temperature to 230 deg C. Both tensile and compression strengths of the beta stabilized alloy were greater than the unalloyed beta phase of plutonium. A brittle-ductile transition was noted between 130 …

None

None

ent temperature variation in a thermally orthotropic plate which is subjected to an arbitrary heating rate distribution along one face with all other surfaces being insulated. Dimensionless temperature histories and distributions determined from this solution are presented for the special, but representative, case of a linearly varying heating rate distribution on plates with varying degrees of thermal orthotropy. These results establish quantitatively the value of a material with high planar and low normal thermal conductivities for applications where it is desired to maintain minimum temperatures on the rear or unheated surface of a heat shield when the heated surface is subjected to a very non-uniform heating rate distribution. The applicability of simplifying assumptions in analyzing such a system is discussed. Experimental temperature measurements in a pyrolytic graphite plate heated by an oxyacetylene flame were made to verify the analytical results. Achievement of satisfactory agreement wss found to be dependent upon use of thermal property values differing from those presently available for this material. This is not unusual in that differences in production methods are known to introduce substantial property variations in anisotropic materials such as pyrolytic graphite. (auth)

None

Mathematical models of the time-dependent behavior of two-phase natural- circulation loops were used to predict the operation and to explain the unusual instability sometimes observed. The initial results obtained for a loop similar to the Univ. of Minnesota loop were used to formulate a more complex and accurate model, and the predicted transient behavior was in close agreement with the experimental results from the Minnesota loop. For a 300psia, high-pressure loop, unstable oscillatory behavior was predicted under certain conditions and stable behavior under others. Closed unstable regions rather than limits were predicted, and the specifications of stability in terms of a single parameter were found to be impossible. The great difference in oscillatory frequencies observed at low and high pressures was found to be due largely to the system geometry. The criterion for the absence of oscillations was found to be similar to one of the criteria for stability of chemical reaction systems. (D.L.C.)

None

Submitted to Illinois Inst. of Tech., Chicago. A He/sup 3/ cryostat was built to measure the specific heat of rare earth metals which have a component, at low temperatures, attributable to the electrons in the incomplete 4f shell. The specific heat of dysprosium from 0.4 to 4.2 deg K was measured. Pertinent theories about specific heats are outlined. The apparatus included the cryostat, vacuum and He/sup 3/ systems, calorimeter, carbon thermometer, heater, and magnetic thermometer. The experimental procedure is described and results are presented in graphic and tabular form. The specific heat rose sharply below 1 deg K. An anomalous hump was centered about 2.35 deg K. (M.C.G.)

None

None

A kinetic model of the primary loop of a multi-pass pressurized water reactor power plant is developed to evaluate, by analog computer techniques, the transient response characteristics under conditions of steam generator load and reactor control rod perturbations. Using the 2-pass 28 Mw(t) SM-2 reactor as a typical plant, transient behavior patterns are illustrated and examined for a variety of load inputs, variations in plant constants, and analog model simplifications. (auth)

None

None

None

Several features of the production of Na/sup 24/ and Mg/sup 28/ fragments produced in the interaction of protons and He ions with Cu, Ag, Au, and U were investigated. Formation cross sections were determined for He ions of different energies between 320 and 880 Mev and for protons of 700 Mev. Thick- target recoil experiments were performed at bombarding energies of 0.7 and 3 Bev for protons, and 880 Mev for He ions. Also given are some recoil measurements of Na/sup 24/ from Al. Analysis of data obtained with target materials heavier than Al showed that for the bombarding energies used, Na/sup 24/ and Mg/sup 28/ are probably produced by the cleavage of the target nucleus into two heavy fragmerts. One of these fragments has a mass approximately equal to the mass Na 4 or Mg/6 and the other contains most of the remaining mass of the target nucleus. However, Na/sup 24/ and Mg/sup 28/ are very probably not slowly evaporated particles nor products of a slow fission process. The experimental information covering fragmentation from photographic emulsion studies and radiochemical studies is discussed. The various mechanisms proposed are considered and a new one suggested. According to this new mechanism Na/sup …

None

Oxygen, nitrogen, and nitric oxide gases were passed through a system consisting of a tungsten filament, an ion gauge, and a mass spectrometer. The ion gauge recorded total pressures and the spectrometer recorded partlal pressures of O/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, NO, CO, COa, and H/sub 2/O. From the way these pressures changed with filamert temperature, the rates of conversion of O/sub 2/ to volatile tungsten oxides and O, and of NO to volatile tungsten oxides N/sub 2/ , O/sub 2/, and O were computed. The time rate of resistance change in the filament was used to compute the rate of conversion of tungsten to tungsten oxides. The filament temperatures ranged from 1950 through 2600 deg K and gas pressures ranged from 10/sup -8/ to 10/sup -6/ atm. For the tungsten-oxygen reaction, the rates of tungsten and oxygen loss were found to depend upon oxygen atom concentration on the surface. The rate of oxide power, depending upon the concentration of oxygen atoms on the surface. The reaction rate at constant oxygen pressure decreases with increasing temperature. For calculational purposes, the tungsten oxygen gas moleeules were assumed to be WO/sub 3/ only, though WO/sub 2/ and WO are other possible products. The …

None

None

None

None

None

None

None