The following documents were compiled into a quarterly report that was to be published in the Radiobiology Volume of the PPR. The following reports provide data from the Biology department of the University of Chicago between May and August of 1947.

The work described in this report was done to determine the path of decomposition of plutonium (IV) oxalate and to determine the factors affecting the reactivity of the oxide with the hydrogen fluoride.

The theory and preliminary laboratory investigations presented in this technical report were intended to examine the general feasibility of injection disposal of radioactive wastes and to establish an understanding of the phenomena governing the travel of trace chemicals through natural porous media. Detailed studies of fluid velocity variations resulting from density differences between the injected and displaced liquids have been made. the ion exchange studies have been limited to strontium and calcium. Strontium 90 is considered to be the most hazardous of the fission products and should represent the radioisotope upon which to judge the merits of injection disposal. Consideration should also be given to cesium in evaluation the health hazards of injection disposal.

Report discussing a study to determine experimentally whether a low neutron binding energy must be assigned to Kr⁸⁷ to explain the neutron emission or whether the beta-decay energy is especially high, as well as to determine the fission yield of Br⁸⁷.

Report discussing specifications for the design of a waste heat steam boiler "for the purpose of generating steam to operate a condensing steam turbine electric generator from the clean hot radioactive air that has cooled the atomic energy reactor of [a] laboratory under a pressure less than atmospheric."

From summary: "A method for the preparation of normal uranyl carbonate has been developed. Heretofore, this compound has been known only as a rare, naturally occurring material." The report further discusses the physical properties of the compound, its solubility in water, and its interaction with sodium carbonate.

From summary: "Various thermal and mechanical properties were measured for sintered tin oxide-matrix compacts which nominally were composed of 99 per cent by weight of tin oxide, SnO2, and one per cent by weight of zinc oxide ZnO...The tin oxide body might be expected to give good service under conditions of severe thermal shock and in an oxidizing atmosphere at temperatures up to 1500°F."

Report discussing progress made by the Chemistry Division (Section C-1) of the Argonne National Laboratory for the months of April, May and June, 1951. Information is divided into "Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry" and "Basic Chemistry".

An experiment designed to evaluate the in-pile performance of the U-Mg fuel material when irradiated to high burnups has been completed. Twelve specimens of the fuel material which contained uranium particles that packed 50 volume per cent, (91.5 weight per cent), uranium in a magnesium matrix were canned in Zircaloy cans and irradiated in the Materials Testing Reactor to 0.1 (1000 MWD/T), 0.3 (5000 MWD/T), 1.0 (10000 MWD/T) and 2.0 20000 MWD/T) per cent burnup of the total uranium atoms; more exactly, 1 MWD/T = 1.16 x 10⁻⁴ per cent burnup of the total uranium atoms. Irradiation of the twelve capsules began on August 1, 1954. The burnup figures used in this report are calculated values assuming a conversion ratio for the capsules of 1.0. Because of the lack of confirmed experimental burnup data for exposures of this magnitude, there is a possible error in the calculated values of about 20 per cent at 2.0 per cent burnup. However, recent results based on chemical analysis for cesium indicate that the calculated values of burnup agree quite closely for the higher exposures. Burnup estimates based on the results of the chemical analysis will be published when they become available. Six of …

"Investigations into the behavior of the gas flow behind spherical or cylindrical blasts have shown that secondary shocks arise within the original detonation gases. The secondary shock, at first weak, is carried outward with the expanding gases. Subsequently it strengthens and bends back toward the origin, arriving there with high intensity. By using some recently developed techniques in shock dynamics a theory is developed by which the motion of the main shock wave, as well as the formation and subsequent motion of the secondary shock, are given by explicit formulae."

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.

A report about equipment which is assembled and tested to determine the feasibility of measuring the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of irradiated uranium rods clad with Zircaloy 2 with NaK as the heat-transfer medium.

A report dealing with thermal-conductivity measurements of uranium and UO2 to determine the effect of irradiation on both of these two materials.

A report based on a study about the factors which affect the amount of chemical reaction between water and Zircaloy 2 at high temperatures. Also, experimental programs for the measurement of radiation emissivity, chemical reaction rates, and diffusion rates have been completed.

Several improvements have been made in the gamma scintillation counter (GSC). The Model V gamma scintillation counter uses a canned thallium activated sodium iodide crystal as a detector. Although the electronic components remain unchanged, a modification of the sample support has been made to improve reproducibility of geometry. To assure comparable results between various counters, they must be operated at the same energy threshold and counting yield. Methods have been developed to assure operation at a preferred energy threshold of 0.1 Mev and an arbitrarily fixed counting yield of 3.36% for Cs-Ba-137. Partial pulse height discrimination against U 237 is also accomplished.

Technical report was prepared by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL) with the objective of presenting a current picture of the Strontium Program. Abstract: Strontium 90 levels in fallout, milk, canned fish and tap water are summarized for data available up to July 28, 1958. Original data submitted during the month of June and the first two weeks in July are included as an appendix. Data are presented to show the amount of Strontium 90 in fallout at sampling stations within and outside the United States.

Introduction: The purpose of this technical report is to review the water chemistry methods and equipment developed for use with the Maritime Loop Irradiation Program conducted in the General Electric Test Reactor (GETR) from December 2, 1960 to July 19, 1962. Special emphasis is given to areas having general application to other high purity water systems. The Appendix includes a discussion of specific conductivity and pH in high purity water systems. A major section of this report is devoted to a review of gross activity levels on coupons of two different surface finishes exposed in the loop coolant system for various time intervals. A major objective of the chemistry program was to select or develop analytical methods such that the analyses could be performed at the loop location by technical personnel who normally operate the loop. By this means, frequent samples were obtained and analyzed directly thus providing close monitoring and control of the loop water chemistry at minimum expense.

The complexing of lanthanum by various anions and weak acids was investigated by observing the light absorption of the complex formed with thenoyltrifluoracetone (TTA). This species showed the properties needed for a satisfactory specgtrophotometric method of analysis.

A technique for the fusion welding of uranium has been under development and several methods of fusion welding have been investigated. The inert gas, shield arc method has proven to be the most satisfactory of the processes thus far examined. Uranium properly weld by this method was free from porosity, cracks, and oxide inclusions. Certain precautions and some special techniques were required to make good welds.

The annealing or heat treatment of uranium in any medium other than a good vacuum or purified helium atmosphere, will lower the room temperature properties of ultimate strength, hardness and elongation. In general, the elongation of vacuum annealed uranium exceeds considerably the elongation of air or salt annealed uranium. Any annealing medium which permits contact of the uranium metal with atmospheric gases tends to produce low elongation and ductility and a lowering of the ultimate strength. The above is true for uranium in any solid form, whether it is rolled sheet, cast bars or plates, rolled rod, or extruded shapes. Annealing in the molten salt bath (65% potassium carbonate and 35% lithium carbonate), which is used by Los Alamos and other laboratories concerned with the fabrication of uranium, produces the lowest elongation or ductility and ultimate strength when compared to similar properties of metal annealed in the other media examined. Mass spectrometer analyses of the dissolved gases present in high ductility and low ductility uranium indicate that dissolved hydrogen is probably the chief cause of low physical properties.

The principal types of particle accelerators are described briefly according to operation and history. Known operating particle accelerators are listed with their pertinent dimensions.

"Scale-up work on high temperature fuel recovery processes has progressed to the point where the (high temperature) vacuum furnace for several operations to the hot cells has been completed and tested under operating conditions. Small scale experiments on high temperature methods for processing molten irradiated uranium fuel have been made with spent X-10 fuel slug pieces. The results of direct Pu evaporation, treatment with fused fluorides and oxide scavenging were every similar to those found with tracer experiments."

"Engineering pertinent to the development of the sodium-cooled, graphite-moderated type of reactor was continued. This included work on problems related to the zirconium canned moderator, low enrichment uranium fuel, sodium piping, secondary coolant system, shielding, and the control and safety elements. A large fraction of the work was devoted specifically to problems of the proposed Sodium Reactor Experiment (SRE) configuration. In this connection, an integrated effort was initiated to prepare a complete preliminary design of the SRE by an early date. In addition, two alternate sodium-graphite reactor configurations were studied. One was an intermediate size, 145 thermal megawatt, unit optimized for the production of low cost plutonium. The second was a low power 10 thermal megawatt intended for power production, but in which sodium circulation through the core was entirely dependent upon thermal convection."

An Alpha Scintillation Probe for use with the HAPO Cart Poppies has been designed to replace the air proportional probes presently used. The new probe has an average geometry of about 15 or 16 percent over an effective probe area of 23.4 in². Stability of operation under normal conditions of vibrations, humidity and temperature are inherent qualities and the average background count is stable at about two counts per minute. The high voltage used is in the order of 1,200 to 1,250 volts with a current requirement of 100 microamperes.