The following report is the ninth in a series of monthly reports covering the program with the objective of developing alloys having superior 680 F water and/or 750 to 900 F steam corrosion resistance, as well as developing higher strength alloys for current temperature ranges while still maintaining corrosion resistance comparable to that of Zircaloy-2. This report was made covering the period December 1 to December 31, 1960.

None

Nickel plated aluminum was considered as a jacketing material for nuclear fuel elements as early as 1954, and both static and dynamic corrosion tests were carried out by Argonne National Laboratories and by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., employing demineralized water at temperatures of from 260 to 316{degree}C. Results generally indicated that the nickel had excellent corrosion resistance; however, difficulties were experienced in achieving satisfactory continuity and adhesion of the plate; subsequent work emphasized Ni-Aluminum alloy development. At Hanford, our earliest experience employed Ni plate on aluminum-jacketed fuel elements primarily to minimize mechanical damage to the jacket surface during an irradiation test. The appearance of these fuel elements after discharge suggested that the nickel plate might also be a highly satisfactory coating for corrosion and abrasion resistance. Incentives were manifold, including reducing the incidence of in-reactor fuel element failures and permitting reduction of the aluminum jacket thickness with a concomitant increase in space available for uranium or for cooling water passage. A program has been carried out for the past three years aimed at determining various methods of employing nickel plated aluminum jacket material and testing the capabilities of high quality commercially adequate plate. Almost exclusively chemically deposited plate has …

IP-401-A authorized the irradiation of 18-inch UO{sub 2} elements and IP-363-A authorized 18-inch KSE-3 elements. This document provides specific loading and operating conditions for a charge of one UO{sub 2} element and two KSE-3 elements in KER-1.

The oxidation of graphite in the Hanford reactors is of consequence since graphite burnout affects the strength of the moderator. As a means for indication of any highly oxidizing condition within the stack, containers or boats of small weighed samples of reactor-grade graphite are positioned along the length of an empty process channel in each reactor. The rate of oxidation of the monitoring samples, referred to as the burnout rate, is reported as percent weight lose per 1000 operating days (%/KOD). Currently the burnout rate limit is 2%/KOD. This document presents recent burnout data at the C-reactor.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether contracts for expenses for attorney's fees, fees for expert witnesses and court reporter fees incurred in connection with a condemnation suit, constitute a contract or obligation of a continuing nature legally payable from funds beyond the expiration date of the appropriation provided for the acquiring of the property involved.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Interpretation of Article 6711, Vernon's Civil Statutes.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether any of the agencies included in the Teacher Retirement System have the power to contract for purchase of annuities for their employees under the provisions of Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and related questions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether any members of the Legislature are entitled to a portion of the annual salary for the period from the effective date of Section 24 of Article III of the Texas Constitution to the convening of the 57th Legislature, and related questions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Taxability for inheritance tax purposes of bequests to be expended by the Foreign Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention of Richmond, Virginia, for the support of foreign missions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Use of bond proceeds.

During the 0000--0800 shift on August 21, 1960, the delayed neutron monitor on KER Loop 1 indicated a high coolant activity level. Sympathetic responses were also recorded on the Loop 2, 3 and 4 monitors indicating a possible fuel element failure in Loop 1. The KER Reactor began shutdown operations immediately thereafter. The purpose of this report is to summarize the events pertinent to this reactor outage and to discuss the results obtained from coolant and coupon samples taken from Loop 1.

The uranium OD increased about 20 mils in 97W-17 and 12 mils in 96W-18. The ID did not change. Remaining cladding thicknesses of 97W-17 were 37 mils minimum and 41 mils maximum external, and 42 mils minimum and 44 mils maximum internal, excluding the A{sub l}-S{sub i}. Remaining cladding thicknesses of 96W-18 were 35 mils minimum and 45 mils maximum external, and 36 mils minimum and 45 mils maximum internal, exclusive of A{sub l}-S{sub i}. Metallographic examination disclosed small grains to a depth of about 10 mils on the internal surface of the uranium in both elements. The spire bond in 97W-17 was cracked completely around the spire.

To provide flow increases in excess of the current water plant capacities at the old reactors, a short-range water modification program has been proposed by Facilities Engineering Section. The proposed program outlined by Facilities Engineering Section includes increased 181 and 183 building pumping capacity at B, D, and H areas, a new filter for F area, and larger impellers for the 190 building pumps at H area. It has been estimated that beneficial use for this proposed increased water plant capability can be obtained by the late fall of calendar year 1962 if prompt project approval can be obtained. In order to obtain an economic benefit from the proposed water plant capacity increases, methods of increasing flow through the reactor must be devised. Initially, various publications discussing this project inferred that rear Parker fitting reaming and installation of larger diameter rear-face pigtails were the only methods by which reactor flow increases could be economically justified. Hence, initially, acceptance of the short-range modification program appeared dependent on Parker fitting reaming and larger rear-face pigtails. Since the possibility of these two modifications will require further investigation, it is desirable to briefly explore alternate methods for increasing reactor flow so that the acceptance …

A significant portion of the planned production.gain expected from the FY 60 Reactor Plant Improvement Program was directly related to overboring the existing graphite channels. The overbore contemplated was a modest 200 mil enlargement (which would not require enlarging the reactor shield penetrations) at those reactors which were the last to require tube replacement. This was all that appeared feasible in view of the developmental work which had been accomplished at the time the program was prepared. Recent studies have confirmed that large incentives exist for overboring the reactor process channels approximately 500 mils in the C and 5 old reactors. Conservative estimates of the incentives for overboring indicate a payout period of about two years for the proposed work based on an increase in plutonium production of 15--18% derived from increased conversion ratio, and a reduction in plant unit cost. The proposal to overbore the graphite channels approximately 500--550 mils in one or more of the present Hanford reactors will require fuel elements about 0.5 inch larger in diameter than the present I&E fuel elements. Since there is only limited experience at HAPO in fabrication and irradiation of large diameter fuel elements, parallel development of large fuel elements is …

The preliminary design is described of equipment to carry out experiments on boiling burnout in which the average coolant density as a function of coolant channel length as well as local coolant densities may be measured. It appears that by use of the equipment, average densities can be accomplished in a few seconds, while determination of a complete density map (with 5% error) across a plane of the assembly requires approximately one hour. (J.R.D.)

Based on the assumption that the noise contribution of a semiconductor detector is due solely to the bulk properties of the semiconductor, equations are presented which indicate the theoretical limits of noise in detector-amplifier combinations. These equations show that an optimum amplifier time constant and detector bias voltage exist for which condition the minimum noise is independent of the semiconductor resistivity. The optimum performance of a detector-amplifier system is shown to depend only upon detector area, input capacity (less detector capacity), semiconductor minority carrier lifetime, and the transconductance of the amplifier input tube. A new detector structure including a guard-ring electrode as an integral part of the detector structure is described which largely eliminates noise due to surface leakage. Experimental results for detector leakage and energy resolution are presented which agree well with theory.

A repeatable technique for preparation of thin, self-supporting copper films has been developed at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California. The process, done in a vacuum chamber, involves evaporation of copper by electron bombardment, and deposition of the copper on a detergent-coast glass substrate. The copper film is later removed from the substrate by immersion in water.