The following report is one of a series of quarterly reports following the progress and development of improved zirconium alloys for service in superheated water and steam. This report covers the period between January 1 to March 31, 1962 and was conducted by the United States and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The major effort in this period has been devoted to ascertaining and evaluating corrosion behavior of 75 ternary compositions.

Introduction: Static, total immersion corrosion tests were carried out at room temperatures with Carboloy grades 44-A, 78, 907, X-3119-A and X-3119-B in Redox process solutions (ANL, June 1, 1949 Flowsheet) 1AX, 1AF, and 1AS.

From page 2: "This article first describes the Bevatron [particle accelerator] and its operation, and then discusses a portion of the research program. The principles of the machine and its early history were given in "The Bevatron," by Lloyd Smith, Scientific American, February 1951."

The following report is a general monthly progress report for the University of California's radiation laboratory in Berkeley, covering the period of February 15 to March 15 of 1954.

Report discussing methods for preparing various protactinium compounds, including protactinium oxides, tetrafluoride, and oxysulfide. Additionally, a method for making the protactinium metal is mentioned.

Report discussing methods for recovering hafnium-free zirconium from irradiated fuel elements. Two methods are discussed: the fluoride method and the Zircex method. Experimental procedures to evaluate these methods and their results are presented.

Five isotopes of bismuth occur in nature. Using particle accelerators providing helium ions up to 40 Mev in energy and deuterons up to 20 Mev in energy, it was possible to produce and identify two artificial radioactive isotopes. With the advent of the 184-inch Berkeley syncho-cyclotron and its hundreds of Mev energies, it was possible to form highly neutron-deficient bismuth isotopes extending more than ten mass units below stable Bi(209).

The system pentaether-uranyl nitrate-nitric acid-water has been studied in the liquid-liquid region, Aqueous solutions containing 0.0M to 8.2M nitric acid and 0.0M to 2.3M uranyl nitrate were equilibrated with pentaether, and the effects of nitric acid concentration, uranyl nitrate concentration and temperature are discussed. Phase diagrams for the system are presented and approximate delta-H values are given.

Calculations presented were done to determine what maximum temperature gradients and stresses would be in typical designs of flat thorium plates, 100 mils thick and coolled on both sides by NaK.

Large savings in waste storage space may be realized by lowering the pH at which TBP waste is stored. Additional savings in neutralizing chemicals and operating time would also increase the monetary gain from such a process change. However, before such a change could be made, the corrosive effect of TBP waste at a lower pH on the mild steel waste storage tanks had to be determined.

In a previous report the adaptation of Stix's ion-cyclotron-wave-heating scheme to the mirror geometry was suggested. An experiment along these lines has been conducted for the past year by E. Chambers, using a tubular P.I.G discharge to provide the basic plasma. The Chambers experiment has been eminently successful in demonstrating the transfer of rf power along the P.I.G. (as along a co-axial conductor), and the resultant acceleration of ions. The power transfer is evident from the predominantly resistive rf impedance of the P.I.G. (1 - 10 ohms), the production of intense luminosity outside the dc P.I.G channel when the rf is turned on, and by the observation large signals with magnetic pick-up loops. The ion heating is demonstrated by direct measurement of ion current on a probe some centimeters outside the P.I.G., and by the observation of energetic charge-exchange neutrals. At the same time, the characteristic features of heating by ion-cyclotron-waves, as described by Stix, are only partly in evidence. The visible broadening of the P.I.G. channel and such fast-ion phenomena as neutral emission do seem to be maximal near the expected cyclotron resonance point. However, the rf impedance is anomalous both in magnitude and parameter dependence, and there are …

Abstract. In order to anticipate radiation - chemical effects in solutions of active lanthanum, various solutions and suspensions containing lanthanum were irradiated with an electron beam. Separation of lanthanum from barium by the alcoholic HCl method is not rendered less efficient by radiation, although considerable gas evolution occurs. Suspensions of lanthanum as hydroxide and as ferrocyanide are not appreciably solubilized by radiation. Lanthanum oxalate is decomposed by radiation, is partially thrown into solution, and finally dissolves completely when all the excess oxalate ion in the solution has been destroyed.

Abstract. the fluctuation in pile intensity caused by an oscillating point absorber is calculation. It is found that the nature of the response depends on the frequency of the impressed oscillation. If the frequency is high compared to the decay rate of the high harmonics, the response consists of a wave which is propagated away from the oscillator. If the frequency is low, the propagated wave character of the response disappears and the intensity of the whole pile tends to oscillate with the same phase. The amplitude of the response decreases with increasing frequency.

Abstract: An appraisal is made of the radiologic hazard created by a 1000-ft. high air burst of a nominal sized nuclear bomb. Three sets of graphs are included which show the relations between dose rate (milliroentgens per hour), time post-shot, and distance from Ground Zero for a soil having given constituents. Estimates are given for fall-out activity (gamma) for distances up to about 200 miles from Ground Zero immediately after fall-out. It is pointed out that the radiologic hazard due to fall-out in the example cited is insignificant; further, that the radiologic hazard from similar nuclear bombs bursting at different heights above the ground will vary to a considerable extent.

At the request of F. W. Albaugh of the Engineering Department, the corrosive effect of 1% uranium nitrate hexahydrate solution on aluminum at 100 C has been measured. The corrosion of aluminum in uranium nitrate solution has been shown in laboratory tests to be too severe to permit the use of aluminum for containing hot uranium nitrate solutions. A minimum corrosion penetration rate of 2 mils per day was observed with M-329 aluminum in 1% uranium nitrate hexahydrate in pH 2 aqueous solution at 100 C.

This paper discusses technical bases, operating standards, and instrumentation systems required to achieve the goal of nuclear safety in operation of high-level reactors. Because of the relatively long neutron lifetime in a thermal reactor and the comparatively modest time rates of reactivity change associated with fission poison and temperature effects, the rod system used for compensating reactivity transients and for maintaining flux distribution control may be operated manually. Manual operation of the reactor and the prediction of pile reactivity statue during outages of course involve factors of human error, normal reaction time, and judgment. It is the aim to specify procedures for the operation such that manual control of the reactor may be adequately maintained at all times within the range of reasonably expected calculational errors and human reaction times. The technical considerations used in developing these standards, including the available monitoring indications are discussed first; then the automatic trip devices which should back up the procedures are also mentioned.

A fraction of the energy released by the underground detonation of nuclear explosives is locally deposited as residual thermal energy. An accurate prediction of this usable fraction of the energy released is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of several of the proposed projects in the Plowshare Program. This paper will present a summary of the available data on residual thermal energy from nuclear detonations in three different geological media: tuff, halite, and granodiorite.

The increasing exponential function e-at [a > 0] characterizes such natural events as gas discharges, neutron multiplication, and the transistor avalanche phenomenon. This report describes an instrument for measuring the rate of rise, a, of an increasing electrical exponential signal.

The reactor equipment cell is expected to be completed by February 15. While filled with water, the tank was inspected for leaks, and the few leaks found will have been repaired by February 15. All orders for construction materials placed prior to this quarter have been received. New requisitions issued during the quarter total $16,000. Work orders were issued, and fabrication of all low-pressure-system components was begun in the ORNL shops. The thermal shield around the reactor vessel was specified as a 2-ft-thick cylindrical concrete wall. With this shield, the fast-neutron flux in the equipment area will be reduced to 7 x 109 neutrons/cm2/sec, the slow flux to 4 x 107 neutrons/cm2/sec, and the gamma intensity to less than 105 r/hr. The possible blast effects from a rupture of the pressure vessel were studied and are judged to be sufficient to justify the inclusion of a 1.5. to 2-in.-thick blast shield around the pressure vessel. The blast shield eliminates the danger of damaging the leak tight equipment-cell liner. Pressures in the reactor equipment cell, as a result of vessel failure, were calculated in order to arrive at a safe design pressure for the reactor equipment cell. For the case of …