A six-inch diameter "O" ring from the HRT Mockup was examined metallographically after 2452 hours exposure to uranyl sulfate solution at 300C. surface defects, except for cold work defects were found only in areas exposed to uranyl sulfates. Defects found were pits, transgranular cracks, surface cracks, and grain attacks.

It has been reported in the literature that prolonged soaking of 16 wt & uranium-aluminum alloys at elevated temperatures induces a microstructural changed termed "conglobulation". this process is essentially a spheroidization of the UAl4 eutectic. Conclusions of the tests: (1) Extended soaking of 48 wt $ uranium-aluminum alloy billets at 600 C does not improve their hot-rolling characteristics. (2) Soaking periods of 50 hours and greater reduce the tensile and yield strengths of these alloys. (3) Soaking for 50 hours results in complete spheroidization of the eutectic in 48 wt % uranium-aluminum alloys.