There is a continuing high interest in the development of organic coolant technology for application to future Hanford reactors. In addition to the HAPO organic program, two other programs are being sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission. These include the Naval Reactor program, aimed at a reactor for ship propulsion, and the Civilian Power Reactor program. Because of the similarity of the technical efforts in the three programs, an attempt is being made to establish effective liaison among the programs. To this end, a visit was made to several sites actively engaged in organic development work. These sites and their primary functions are detailed in this report.

aluminum has been considered as a material for cladding fuel elements to be used in reactors cooled by high-temperature recirculating water. Aluminum is abundant, chap, has a relatively low cross section for thermal neutrons, and is readily fabricated into complex shapes. For these reasons, it appears that the use of aluminum rather than steel, Zircaloy or other candidate materials for fuel element cladding, would result in considerable savings in operating expense. The actual economics will of course depend on specific factors such as core materials and design of the reactor/. Aluminum appears particularly attractive for cladding the cores of aluminum-plutonium alloy proposed for the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor since, in this case, the physical characteristics of the core and cladding would be practically identical.

The use of a reactor charged with silver nitrate coated packing for removal of radio-iodine from the waste gases of Hanford chemical processing plants has been successful in removing approximately 99.5 percent of this activity. Studies by the Radiological Sciences Department indicated the desirability of further reducing the amount of radio-iodine released to the atmosphere. Therefore, this study was undertaken with the objectives of better understanding the inherent limitations to iodine removal by reaction with silver nitrate, and improving the efficiency of removal of iodine.

An abrasive cutoff machine design, based upon a previous model, (1) was undertaken to provide for the sampling of radioactive material. the design objective was; first, to provide samples for metallographic examination, second, to provide samples for physical and mechanical property testing, and, third, to meet the following design requirements: 1. Remote operation. 2. Airborne contamination control. 3. Radioactive waste collection. 4. Remote maintenance.

A knowledge of the preferred orientation of the crystal aggregates in pile structural materials is of basic importance in the attempt to understand their behavior under operating conditions. The effect of a preferential alignment of crystallites in enisotropic materials is to create a directional variation in physical and mechanical properties. In most applications directional effects are undesirable and efforts are usually made during fabrication to avoid the conditions which cause the orientation or, if possible, to alleviate the condition by proper heat treatments after the forming process if the orientation persists. Some of the variables that affect the type and degree of preferred orientation is metals during the forming process include working temperature, per cent reduction, the nature of the applied forces used, the crystal structure, and the inherent deformation mechanisms of the metal.

The erection of a concrete biological shield at Hanford, Washington presented several unique construction problems. This shield encloses the radioactive core of a reactor and is designed to protect operating personnel from the harmful effects of pile neutrons and associated gamma radiation. Permanent steel forms were erected to close tolerance around the reactor and filled with high density concrete by means of prepacked method. Prefabricated sections of the steel forms, or crates, were five to eight feet deep and weighed up to 18 tons each. During erection, the process holes through successive crates were kept within 0.012 in. of their nominal distance. The left side, top shield, and right side of this biological shield were constructed integrally to form a rigid frame. The front and rear crates, which contain numerous process holes, were keyed into the side and top shields so as to permit relative expansions of shield components and to provide for their lateral support. These massive steel and concrete walls provide considerable resistance to blast and earthquake forces, support numerous process facilities, contain pile gas, as well as protect personnel from nuclear radiation.

This document reports the circumstances surrounding the failure of sheathed thermocouples during a test being conducted in the KAPL-120 Loop. The report is prepared to provide a record of these events and to acquaint those who use these thermocouples for testing of other applications with the difficulties that are sometimes encountered.

The following report analyzes random walks and whether or not they can be used to shed any light on problems of neutron diffusion.

This report discusses methods of producing aluminum nitrate for the Redox process. Large amounts of aluminum nitrate are consumed during the Redox process, so this report explores preparation of this material through the dissolution of hydrated aluminum oxide in nitric acid.

A number of the questions which have been posed to us in the subject references are commented upon below. These have been reviewed by personanel of the Research and Engineering Operation and the Facilities Engineering Operation, Chemical Processing Department, and of the Chemical Research and Development Operation, Hanford Laboratories Operation. Particular acknowledment is given G. J Alkire, J. P. Duckworth, J. B. Fecht, R. G. Geier, E. R. Irish, H. M. Jones, G. C. Oberg, A. M. Platt, W. H. Reas, W. C. Schmidt, R. J. Sloat, W. H. Swift, M. T. Walling and L. L. Zahn of these organizations for assistance given assembling this information.

Introduction:"A corrosion test program in support of the Redox Project was carried out during the second quarter of 1950 to determine the corrosion rates of several austenitic stainless steels in simulated 202-B Waste Storage solution containing HF, HN03, and H2SO4 acids. The results of this program are contained herein and all original data are recorded in laboratory notebook HW-3282-T."

From abstract: "The chemical analyses of graphite test bars obtained from National Carbon Company and the analyses performed by the Hanford Works Laboratories Division do not correlate significantly with the test pile results, nor do the chemical analyses obtained from National Carbon Company agree with those done in the Handford Works Laboratories. Chemical results obtained at Hanford on samples taken lengthwise from individual bars correlated significantly with the individual test pile results."

Although the corrosion of resistance of Zircaloy--2 clad fuel elements in high temperature water is excellent, some concern has been expressed in regard to the resistance against fretting corrosion. Since this form of corrosion can proceed quite rapidly it could induce fuel element failure through penetration of the cladding. Fretting corrosion if it occurred, would take place either where the fuel element contacted the process tube or where portions of the fuel element contacted each other, e. g. wire-wrapping around a cluster of cylindrical fuel rods. This form of corrosion is defined as corrosion occurring at contact areas and as such, fretting of Zircaloy-2 could take place in many reactor concepts. This report details the results of testing performed to induce fretting corrosion of Zircaloy-2 and the direction of the future tests.

This document presents a set of machine-computed curves involving a wide range of Kb and Kc, from which both thermal and resonance values of (E-1) may be obtained.

This note describes an analysis of the primary creep rates in thin-walled pressure tubing. The analysis accounts for the increase in tube radius and decrease of tube wall thickness. Both of these effects increase the stress; hence, they can affect the creep rate and cause unstable creep conditions.

This report examines a uranium slug that has been produced by powder metallurgical methods and exposed in the 100-DR Pile and was deformed during pile exposure.

Wells drilled to date on the Hanford project represent and initial investment of over one million dollars. These nearly six hundred wells have been used and will continue to be used for observation and monitoring purposes of direct interest to ground disposal of radioactive wastes. Through measurement of depth to the water table the changing gradients as a result of large volume waste disposal are determined and direction of ground water flow established. The extent of contamination in ground water is measured in samples dawn from these wells. Aquifer permeability is measured and ground water velocity predicted from pumping tests carried out out in these structure

Report describing data resulting from dynamic tests to determine applied potential corrosion of aluminum.

A portable GM survey instrument was designed and developed which consists of a single transistor blocking-oscillator high voltage supply, a dual transistor multivibrator count-rate meter and a standard 30 mg/cm² glass-wall GM tube.

Abstract: "Experiments were performed to characterize the types of nitro compounds that might be formed by reaction of Shell Spray Base with nitric acid, to determine the extent of their formation, if any, and their path under conditions of nitric acid recovery in the Purex Process. It is concluded that the instability of Shell Spray Base to nitration, under conditions to prevail in the plant, presents neither a disposal problem nor a safety problem."

This is the third of a series of reports describing the phases of a study of the wear and galling of autoclavedZircaloy-2 by various bearing surface materials. The first report (1) showed that increasing contact area between the autoclaved Zircaloy-2 surfaces will not prevent scratching. It also showed that metals softer than Zircaloy-2 in general do not scratch it. The second report (2) described how eight metals and alloys were wear-tested on autoclaved Zircaloy-2 as prospects for fuel element support-bearing surface materials.

Report describing the Hanford Atomic Works' Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor, its siting concerns, operation, and safety concerns.