This technical progress letter contains reports from six Technical Department divisions at the Hanford Engineer Works for February 16 through February 22, 1947. The six reporting divisions are: 100 Areas, 300 Area, 200 Areas, Chemical Development, Laboratories, and Statistical Studies. (JL)

This document details activities at the Hanford Engineer Works during the month of January 1949.

A process hns been developed for impregnating graphite with U/sub 3/O/ sub 8/ in connection with the proposed use of such material for fuel rod elements in the Daniels' High Temperature Pile. The process as developed consists of five steps: Fabrication of the graphite in the desired shape; Pretreatment of the graphite by boiling in water and then firing in helium at 800 deg C; Impregnating the graphite by first evacuating the pretreated material and then admitting an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution whose concentration is etermined by the final uranium content desired in the raphite; Drying the impregnated graphite slowly under quilibrium conditions; and Conversion of the uranyl itrate to U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ by firing in helium at 800 deg C. By this process fuel rod elements have been made which contain as much as 19% U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ distributed uniformly throughout the graphite. The considerations leading to the choice of this process are discussed in this report, together with the alternate procedures which were investigated. (auth)

A slow-neutron-transmission method fro dertermining the hydrogen content of fluorcarbons is described (G.Y.).

None

This quarterly report discusses the following topics: (1) the metabolic properties of plutonium and allied materials; (2) biological studies of radiation effects; (3) biological effects of radiation from external and internal zones; and (4) health chemistry.

None

None

This is a monthly progress report on the following programs: (1) 184-inch Cyclotron; (2) 60-inch Cyclotron; (3) Synchrotron; (4) Linear Accelerator; (5) Experimental Physics; (6) Theoretical Physics; (7) Isotope Research; (8) Chemistry; (9) Medical Physics; and (10) Health Physics and Chemistry.

This report details events of importance reported by the Hanford Operation Office for the week ending February 2, 1949.

This report details events of importance reported by the Hanford Operations Office for the week ending February 9, 1949.

It has been suggested in the past that special numbers of neutrons or protons in the nucleus form a particularly stable configuration.{sup1} The complete evidence for this has never been summarized, nor is it generally recognized how convincing this evidence is. That 20 neutrons or protons (Ca{sup40}) form a closed shell is predicted by the Hartree model. A number of calculations support this fact.{sup2} These considerations will not be repeated here. In this paper, the experimental facts indicating a particular stability of shells of 50 and 82 protons and of 50, 82, and 126 neutrons will be listed.

None

In the treatment of carnotite concentrates, sodium diuranate was prepared by acidifying tricarbonate liquors to eliminate carbon dioxide, and then precipitating the sodium salt by the addition of caustic. Direct precipitation of uranium by the addition of caustic to tricarbonate liquors was used when pitchblende ores were processed, because this procedure was more effective in giving a product with a low molybdenum content. Tests of this method in the laboratory and Pilot Plant indicated that low uranium losses (0.2 to 0.3%) would be encountered with typical liquors if 1.7 to 2.0 lbs of caustic were added for every pound of uranosic oxide in solution. Since losses as high as 3% were incurred in plant operations, further work was undertaken, in an effort to reduce the uranium concentration in the waste liquors.

In the ether extraction process, as originally developed, purified uranium dioxide was obtained by evaporation and calcination of the uranyl nitrate solution, followed by calcination of the resultant UO{sub 3}. It was suggested that an alternate procedure might be developed, involving the precipitation of uranium from the nitrate solution as ammonium diuranate. This material could then be calcined to uranosic acid, or reduced directly to the dioxide. It had already been established that ammonium diuranate could be precipitated completely from uranyl nitrate solutions. Experiments were carried out to determine whether a basic nitrate, analogous to a known sulfate salt, would be formed in the process. Both direct reduction of the diuranate to UO{sub 2} and calcination to uranosic acid were investigated to determine the physical characteristics and residual nitrogen of the resultant brown oxide.

The Purpose of this manual is to describe preparation of bismuth powder for use in process operations. Bismuth powder is to be prepared in Room 232 of ``T`` Building where all necessary apparatus is installed.

None

Despite the fact the adequate data from long-term, chronic experiments on the effects of Po{sup 210} are not available, some sort of a working figure for the maximum permissible body content of polonium is desirable. As described herein, calculations involved in determining the permissible body content of polonium generally fall into three classes. 1. Comparison of X-ray and polonium toxicity and application of an acceptable X-ray tolerance figure. 2. Assumption of a most sensitive organ and computation of the critical concentration of radioactive material present in this organ under conditions such that the organ received an assumed maximum permissible exposure over an indefinitely long period of time. 3. Comparison of radium and polonium toxicity with application of an acceptable maximal content of radium.

None

Experiments were carried out for the purpose of increasing production, efficiency, and purity of uranium metal. The electrolytic method as described by Driggs and Lilliendahl for the preparation of uranium metal was followed with but little deviation. The yield of metal at the very best was only 50%. The metal powder produced, at times, was very pyrophoric. Methods were found whereby the metal, at least in part, can be made from the oxides with an average yield of about 90%. The small amounts of sludge and slag accumulated in this modified process can readily be re-used in the electrolysis pot and, therefore, an overall yield of 96% can be obtained. Information accumulated from these experiments has been compiled in such a manner as to be readily available for factory use, for patent purposes and for future publication.

The objective of this report is to determine the poisoning effectiveness and uniformity of a batch of approximately thirty myrnalloy slugs prior to charging into the B pile. The report is dated February 19, 1946. (JL)

None

None

None