Thorough examination of the clad surfaces and end closures of the two brazed elements gave no evidence of exposed uranium. This examination included visual scrutiny in the Radiometallurgy Examination Facility, followed by dissection and metallographic study of suspected zones. Thus, it is concluded that the emission of radioactive material was probably due to a jacket or closure leak in one or more of the other experimental elements, included in the same tube, whose investigation is beyond.the scope of the present study. Metallographic examination revealed voids and unbonded areas in the closure region. Also, erosion and clad thinning was observed where the braze blended into the fusion weld. As a result of these observations, corrective action was taken to improve the quality of the brazed closure.

Reaction between gaseous nitrogen dioxide and gaseous uranium hexafluoride results in the formation of the nitrylium salt NO/sub 2/UF/sub 6/. Under similar conditions no reaction occurs between nitrogen dioxide and molybdenum and tungsten hexafluorides. Reaction between nitrosyl and nitryl fluorides and the three hexafluorides results in solid compounds of the composition NO/sub x/F x MF/sub 6/, where x is 1 or 2 and M represents Mo, W, or U. Reaction between gaseous or liquid nitrosyl chloride and molybdenum and uranium hexafluorides results in the formation of the nitrosylium salts NOMoF/sub 6/ and NOUF/sub 6/ and chlorine. Tungsten hexafluoride was found not to react with nitrosyl chloride. The conditions and stoichiometry of the reactions are described. The nitrylium salt, NO/sub 2/UF/sub 6/, is characterized, and some of its physical and chemical properties are described. The NO/sub x/F x MF/sub 6/ compounds are characterized, and some physical properties are described. Evidence for the presence of NO/sup +/ and MF/sup -//sub 7/ ions in these compounds is given. The nitrosylium salts, NOMoF/sub 6/ and NOUF/sub 6/, were characterized previously. (auth)

Measurements of the interfacial tension between water and tributyl phosphate solutions were made for application to the analysis of Marengoni effect in solvent extraction. A 24 hr flame calcination run to product Th02 particles yielded 40% as product and 54% collected from the furnace walls and from a coarse particle trap. The elution rates of uranyl ion from Dowex 21K using sodium nitrate could be approximated by assuming apparent diffusion coefficients of 1.67 x 10^-7 and 1.18 x 10 ^-7 cm^2/sec, respectively for 960µ and 820µ resn while the corresponding apparent coefficients using sodium chloride were 1. 78 x 10^-7 and 1.27 x 1-^-7 cm^2/sec. The reacting surface of ThO2 Universal Match Co. pellets was determined as a function of fraction dissolved. The lead scews and companion nuts from both the multipurpose saw and dejacketing machine were coated with a baked on lubricant. In Zirflex decladding studies using 4.5 M NH4F - 0.5 M NH4NO3, the average dissolution rate of Zircaloy-2 was decreased only 10% when the overhead condensate was withdrawn and 1.0 M NH4OH was added to maintain the volume.