Abstract: "X-ray and microscopic examination of slags from uranium metal production bombs which gave good and bad yields in the plant at St. Louis have indicated the significance of uranium oxide formation. Apparently the oxide (UO2) results from reaction of the UF4 with linear material, particularly with moisture in the liner."

This report follows an investigation made on the welding of Ames thorium by the inert-gas-shielded tungsten-arc process as the first part of a program on the joining of thorium. This program is part of a broader research program to develop the technology of thorium.

This progress report discusses the work during the fourth quarter of 1951. During this quarter, "the uranium raw materials program at ORNL has been devoted to studies of uranium chemistry and to the development of processes for deriving uranium and byproducts from various types of ores" (From introduction).

From introduction: "During the second quarter of fiscal year 1952, the Isotope Production and Process Development Department placed primary emphasis on the collection of lithium, iron and calcium isotopes."

From summary: "During 1951 NDA has, at the request of ORNL, been studying the supercritical-water reactor as proposed for aircraft propulsion in Wash-24...This study has concerned itself only with the reactor and shield." The report describes the reactor and the processes involved in developing it. The goal of the development of this reactor is identified as a path to supersonic flight.

From abstract: "The reaction between hydrogen and oxygen with the aid of various catalysts (especially platinum on aluminua) has been studied, and the operating variables such as flow rates, space velocity, temperature, and gas composition have been examined rather extensively. It has been found that hydrogen and oxygen in stoichiometric proportions and mixed with either steam or helium may be made to react to the extent of 99.5% or greater at space velocities up to 30,000 hr-1, or even higher, at temperatures from 100[degrees] to 900[degrees]C, and with mixtures ranging from less than 1% hydrogen to mixtures containing 12% hydrogen and 6% oxygen. Richer mixtures, including undiluted electrolytic gas (H2 + 1/2 O2) have been used with catalysts less active than platinum (e.g. copper, silver, nickel and V2O5) but here the gas mixture is explosive and care must be taken to prevent explosions. The thermal reaction between hydrogen and oxygen diluted with steam has also been investigated at temperatures between 500[degrees] and 800[degrees]C."

Technical reports outlining the controls for the Homogeneous Reactor Experiment (HRE); controls are divided into three principal groups. 1. Reactor. 2. Process or auxiliary. 3. Power generation. These are the classifications designating the primary functions of the controls. [From Introduction]

The first part of this quarterly progress report details reactor theory and design, discussing the aircraft reactor experiment, experimental reactor engineering, reactor physics, and critical experiments. The second part of this report is not included. The third part of this quarterly progress report details materials research, discussing corrosion research, physical properties and heat-transfer research, metallurgy and ceramics, chemistry of high-temperature liquids, and radiation damage. The fourth part of this quarterly progress report details alternate systems, discussing a supercritical water reactor, circulating-moderator-coolant reactors. The fifth part of this quarterly progress report includes appendixes.

The following report provides the results of an accelerated corrosion test that was performed to compare the effect of two coagulants on the corrosion rates of aluminum slug jacket alloy and 72S. Additionally, some analytical data on the water from the two treatments were obtained and are presented in this report.

Objective: "Production Test 235-1 and an amendment, were written to outline the procedures for reducing the outgassing time and evaluating the effects of these reductions."

Technical report presenting the results of a study of the AEC thorium production facilities at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. Operating procedures, descriptions of equipment and a production cost analysis have been included in this study.

The following report calculates pile reactivity changes that result from different pile loadings where it is desirable to have available values of (flux)2 d(volume) for various flat zone radii. This information was found for a cylindrical pile having circular flat zones and an effective radius of 598 cm., by integrating over a cross sectional volume of one cm. thickness.

The following report provides measurements of the crystalline structure of neptunium metal.

The following document is meant to inform the reader on the makings of a cement base for the hot filament mass spectrometer source as part of a publication in the review of scientific instruments, "Laboratory and Shop Notes".

This report follows a study that was undertaken to evaluate the practicality if removing the heat from the reactor cooling water by means of a "flash cooler" and to compare its economics with that of the conventional heat exchange system.

"This report covers mainly the work completed since the last interim report, HNL Log No. 0-4714. This report includes results from studies of the rare earth distribution in bismuth-uranium and fused chloride and studies of fused chloride behavior."

Report discussing the fractionation study of tri-n-butyl orthophosphate as the organic phase using a solution of trivalent rare earth chlorides or nitrates as the aqueous phase.

From introduction: "A simplified calculation has been carried out in order to gain some insight into the flux distribution, peak to average power density, efficiency of a catching blanket and the effect of a reflector in the proposed converter reactor."

Introduction: "This letter is intended to provide a brief summary of the information presently available on the engineering properties of iron-linonite concrete with the view of adapting such concrete with the view of adapting such concrete for use as biological shielding material in a Hanford pile. By reducing materials and fabrication costs, such a adaptation might effect a savings of at least two million dollars per pile over the present iron-masonite laminated shield structure."

The production of cross-type control rods having a span of 4-7/8 in., and an arm thickness of 1/8 in., was studied. Extrusion techniques were developed for producing cross-type control rods from each of two alloys; one containing 75% silver-25% cadmium, and the other containing 67% silver-30% cadmium-3% copper. Fabrication of the extruded crosses into clad control rods for the Mark I naval reactor was attempted. A set of unclad control rods for the Zero Power Reactor was produced. The effect of copper, nickel, aluminum, palladium, and indium, singly and in various combinations, on the physical and mechanical properties of silver cadmium was studied. Data are given on the work hardening and annealing of binary silver-cadmium alloys, and on the precipitation hardening of certain complex silver cadmium alloys. A materials specification and suggested fabrication procedure were established for nickel-clad extruded silver-cadmium control rods.

Report describing the research and development activities related to nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry and basic chemistry conducted by the Argonne National Laboratory Chemistry Division, Section C-1.

Quarterly summary report of studies conducted through the Radiation Laboratory, University of California. Some results reported in the report may be of a preliminary or incomplete nature.

The corrosion of uranium in moist air is more rapid than had been thought previously. Earlier recommendations were based on test of 300 hr duration. In tests which were conducted for over 1000 hr, moisture has less effect than in those tests made over shorter periods. The corrosion of uranium by dry and moist air has been studied at 38, 57, and 75 degrees C. Although moisture increases the rate of initial attack, after 200 to 500 hr the effect is reduced and an accelerating corrosion rate overshadows the initial effects of moisture.

This technical report presents "a theoretical study of the motion of gas bubbles in a rotating liquid" in order to "make comparison with experimental data from an investigation concerning the removal of gas bubbles from rotating liquids as descriped in ORNL-630." The report presents a literature review of "motion of gas bubbles in liquids" and provides a "summary of extensive experimental studies at the University of Tennessee." It also presents "an expression for the radial velocity of a gas bubble in a rotating liquid based on principles of mechanics." Finally, this report presents "a method for computing the steady state state [sic] gas hold-up in the HRE reactor core under power producing conditions." (From introduction)