This quarterly progress report of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project at ORNL records the technical progress of the research on circulating-fuel reactors and ether ANP research at the Laboratory under its Contract W-7405-eng-26. The report is divided into three major parts: I. Reactor Theory, Component Development, and Construction, II. Materials Research, and III. Shielding Research.

Technical report covering (1) analysis of uranium bromide and chloride samples, (2) the ferric-nitrate method of analyzing uranium fluorides for fluorine, (3) spectrographic determination of boron, cadmium and manganese in magnesium metal, (4) service analyses. contributions to other problems, (5) attempted preparation of uranous oxyfluoride, and (6) corrections in previous reports.

The first step in a proposed processing method for recovery of uranium from graphite-uranium fuels consists of oxidation of the fuel by oxygen to volatilize the carbon. Residue ash from the combustion step can be treated in a variety of ways to recover and purify the uranium. The combustion step may be caried out by contacting the solid fuel in a fixed or moving bed with a stream of oxygen-bearing gas in a tubular or annular reactor. Oxidizing gas may be introduced to the reactor at several points up the reactor and there may be continuous or intermittent addition of fresh fuel and removal of residue ash.

Oscillations have been observed in a magnetically supported cylindrical rod of plasma. This rod of plasma can be the discharge occurring in the defining aperture of a Mode II, pressure gradient arc. Similar oscillations can also occur in the column of a Mode I arc. These oscillations appear to be the mechanism that drives the Mode II blowup phenomena.

Introduction: In anticipation of the design of equipment for heat transfer tests, a series of short exposure corrosion tests was initiated in an effort to determine the order of magnitude of the corrosion involved. Information was required on the effect on corrosion rates of applying a potential between two concentric tubes, the annulus between them containing condensate water.

The tests described in this report were static tests devised to afford a basis for a quick evaluation of the resistance of uranium to attack by lithium. The work was done at the same time as the tests of beryllium, thorium, and various engineering metals in lithium (described in ANL-4990); but the results with uranium are given in the present classified report so that the results of the other tests can be published as an unclassified document. The procedure for carrying out the tests is described in ANL-4990.

Abstract. While the concept of a biological system as a balanced network of chemical transformations is not a new one, experimental definition of specific systems has been lacking. This paper defines theoretically and experimentally a number of such networks and their behavior and response to some limited environmental changes.

Much of the shielding work carried out with the Bulk Shielding Reactor (BSR) has yielded data of particular interest for the design of swimming pool type reactors, However, it is often difficult for a reactor designer to locate such data since it may be recorded in a report primarily concerned with shielding problems. Therefore, this memorandum presents a bibliography of reports from the Bulk Shielding Facility arranged according to the application of data to the various aspects of reactor design.

Boron-10 has a high thermal neutron capture cross section (3880 barns). Following neutron capture, the subsequent nuclear disintegration produces an alpha particle and a lithium-7 nucleus with the release of an average of 2.34 MeV for the particle irradiation, and in 93% of the reactions there is also the emission of an 0.48 MeV gamma ray: [equation not transcribed]. The kinetic energy is divided between the lithium-7 nucleus and the alpha particle giving the equal and opposite momentums with a range in tissue of about 8-14μ or approximately 1 cell diameter (1). This fact and the reported favorable partition of boron between tumor and the normal brain suggested a possible therapeutic usefulness which has been investigated clinically. The object of our study is to document the biological effects of the B10 (n,α) Li7 reaction on the brain of dogs injected with boron-10 30 minutes prior to irradiation with thermal neutrons. For this, we felt it desirable to estimate a dose for the boron-10 reaction which if exceeded, produces destruction of normal tissue. This dose could then be a reference dose to be utilized as a maximal limit for the irradiation of normal tissue. We have assured that the largest fluence …

Technical report. From Abstract : "Accurate measurements on boiling points and surface tensions of mixtures of benzyl acetate with dioxan, aniline and meta-cresol over the entire range of concentration are reported. The results have been analysed in terms of quasi-crystalline model which is partially successful in representing the composition dependence of heats of mixing, boiling points and surface tension except for composition dependence of boiling points of benzyl acetate and meta-cresol."

The absorption in lead of Bremsstrahlung X radiation from a Sr^90 TiO3 pellet in the proximity of Hastelloy "C" was measured. The tenth value layer of the more energetic components of the X-ray continuum was determined to be 1.60 inches.

Approximately 15,000 "P" Process Aluminum caps clad with aluminum-silicon on the face and sides have been successfully canned. These caps were fabricated by the Aluminum Company of America from clad plate stock. An increase in canned slug yield of about two percent was realized from using these caps and no significant process problems indicated that the additional cost of clad plate might be off-set by the elimination of the centerless grinding now required on the side of the cap base. Therefore, processing of at least 100,000 additional aluminum-silicon clad caps is recommended, and consideration should be given at this time to completely converting from the present cap design to the aluminum-silicon clad cap.

In reduction reactions of CeO₂, with calcium and a CaCl₂ flux, the use of vibrational energy was shown to have a marked effect on the yield of coalesced metal. Buttons of 40 to 50% theoretical yield were obtained from the vibrated reductions. As the flux concentration is decreased, the slag becomes more viscous containing undissolved CaO. The undissolved CaO present prevents the metal from completely coalescing, but the metal can be recovered from the slag and coalesced under CaCl₂ containing a small amount of calcium to reduce any oxide skin present. Cerium pellet yields of 50 to 60% metal were obtained by the procedure and were not difficult to handle in air. Cerium was used as a stand-in material for plutonium.

Technical report abstract: Sodium hydride and triethylborane react to form sodium triethylhydroborate, NaBH(C2H5)3. This compound, a liquid at rooom temperature, was found to be soluble in hexane and mineral oil. A study was made of the thermal decomposition of sodium triethylhydroborate and its behavior toward boron trifluoride, boron trichloride, methyl borate, carbon dioxide, silane, and ethylene. Sodium triisopropoxyhydroborate, NaBH(OC3H7)3, was prepared and also found to be soluble in hexane and mineral oil. The reactions of this compound with methyl borate, triethylborane, silicon tetrachloride, and boron trichloride were investigated.

In the past year, exploratory data have been taken to determine the relative solubilities of hydrogen and deuterium in various solvents in the vicinity of room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This investigation is one phase of a program to determine the feasibility of separating deuterium from hydrogen by means of rectified absorption.

Semiannual Progress report of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Chemistry Division providing updates on various projects, experiments, and other work in inorganic and physical chemistry, nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry, chemical physics, chemistry of separation processes, radiation chemistry, and reactor chemistry.

The following report provides complete data and test procedure from hot water corrosion tests of type 502 stainless steel.

From introduction: "This report gives the results of a 1000-hour corrosion test of SAE 1010, low carbon steel, in synthetic Redox waste solutions...The present test was designed to obtain corrosion rates for waste solution temperatures of 180 F, 200 F, and 220 F in solutions neutralized to pH values of 11, 12, and 13.

Abstract: "Using xylene as the densimetric solvent, the crystal densities have been determined by the pyknometric method for the following chlorides, UCl3, UCl4, UCl6(UCl4), UCl6 and U02Cl2."

Gamma plutonium is found to be orthorhombic with eight atoms in a unit cell of dimension (1t 235 degree C) [formula]. The calculated density is [formula]. The space group is Fddd and the positions of the eight atoms are: [formula]. Each plutonium atom is bonded to ten others at an aver distance of [formula], four being at [formula], two at [formula] and found at [formula]. The mean linear coefficients of thermal expansion are found to be [formula].

Technical report. From Abstract : "The crystal structure of bis(meta-chlorobenzoyl) methane has been determined by three dimensional anisotropic least squares refinement of scintillation counter data. The molecule was found to be nearly planar with a maximum deviation from the least squares molecular plane of 0.068Å and an average deviation of 0.023Å. Fourier transform techniques to locate phenyl rings provided the key to the structure determination. The intramolecular bond distances and thermal parameters of the oxygen atoms support a resonant, enol ring with a symmetric, intramolecular hydrogen bond. The structure confirms conslusions from the structure of bis(meta-bromobenzoyl) methane where the symmetry of the molecule was forced by the crystal symmetry."

Methods for the noncorrosive removal of volatile fission products and UO2 dust from carbon steel and stainless steel have been developed. Procedures for applying these methods to the decontamination of the EGCR charge and service machines are described.

Considerable work has been done on decontamination procedures for both corrosion products and fission products. Testing of promising procedures under typical rupture conditions is an important phase of this work. The Irradiated Rupture Prototype (IRP) has been used since August in this evaluation work. This document is one of a series reporting these data.

Abstract: A survey of the problem of reactor system contamination by radioactive material and methods that have been employed to remove the material was carried out. Following this survey, an investigation of chemical solutions was undertaken to find one which might be successfully employed in the decontamination of a stainless steel steam generator. From a preliminary screening, the most promising chemical method from the view point of minimum corrosion and maximum decontamination is a caustic permanganate treatment followed by and acid rinse.