The following memorandum is a selective bibliography of books, periodical articles, and technical reports relating to tritium with special reference to urine analysis of tritium and metabolic experiments.

The following report provides data taken of problematic situations that have led to accidental prompt-critical radiation bursts in critical assemblies laboratories, as well as a few risky instances. The purpose of this report is to prevent these mistakes from happening in the future.

Abstract: "A measurement was made of the dissociation of vibrationally-excited H2+ ions by photons having quantum energy in the vicinity of 4 e.v. The calculated cross section from theory is 3 x 10-(-18) cm-2. The experimental result is 10-(-17) cm-2; a factor of 10 uncertainty is present because the photon intensity was unknown by that factor."

The following report provides results from investigations on the operation of the power supply for the Bevatron Magnet as well as maintenance problems.

A knowledge of the surface tension of metals is a valuable tool in many aspects of physical metallurgy. Surface tension is a prime factor in such phenomena as swelling, nucleation and growth, and corrosion by liquid metals, and is also of importance in brazing. casting, and sintering. This survey was initiated to facilitate the selection of an experimental technique for determining the surface tension of uranium in support of current swelling studies of irradiated uranium. It is believed that swelling in uranium in support of current swelling; studies of small bubbles of fission gases (krypton and xenon), and the forces resisting the expansion of these bubbles are the elastic and plastic flow energies and surface tension of the metal. Experimental techniques for the determination of surface tension of solids are still in the development stage, but three techniques appear to be most feasible. These methods are: (1) the mechanical method, in which a tensile lead is used to counterbalance the contractile force of surface tension; (2) the thermal etching method, involving measurement of the dihedral angle at the root of etched grain boundaries; and (3) the electron diffraction method, which analyzes surface tension by the amount of lattice distortion it …

During the period when the writer mixing fuel element was being evaluated, a small Litton glass lathe and a General Electric Fillerarc welder were used to weld the mixing spool to the fuel element. Due to the condition of these units and to the numerous difficulties encountered with them, it was deemed necessary to design and procure a semi automatic welding unit which could weld in excess of three hundred fuel elements per day.

The use of a scalloped cross-sectional coolant channel has been suggested as possible solution of the fuel-element bowing problem inherent in the septafoil type of geometry. Using simplified assumptions, a method has been developed for calculating the rod spacing and scallop size necessary to produce equal average fuel-element surface temperatures in the central and peripheral regions of the coolant flow channel at the mid-section of each fuel-rod cluster under a given set of reactor flow conditions. Since the extent of row-bowing is related to the surface temperature distribution, this requirement should minimize fuel-element deflection.

"Abstract: The advantages of storing nuclear pulse height information on tape for later use with an analyzer are pointed out. Experiments with a magnetic modulator playback head which would offset inaccuracies due to tape speed variation are described. (T.R.H.)."

Standard water treatment practices have proven adequate for scale and corrosion control on the secondary side of the ORR pool-cooling heat exchanger. Corrosion rates measured on specimens exposed to secondary water showed maximum corrosion rates of approximately 1 mpy during the first exposure period and these rates decreased during subsequent exposure.

The processing of irradiated fuels from power and propulsion reactors is planned by Hanford Atomic Products Operation as part of the Atomic Energy Commission's interim reprocessing scheme. The several chemical processes proposed for the reprocessing of these fuels may be divided into two categories: first, total dissolution processes which dissolve both fuel element cladding and core material and, second, selective dissolution processes which dissolve either cladding or core material. The Niflex process uses a nitric and hydrofluoric acid solution for the total dissolution of stainless steel clad uranium fuel elements.

The following document is an updated note on the process of building an improved nuclear density gauge within the time interval of September 2 to October 1, 1959.

Abstract: "Tungsten-rich alloys, developed for use at temperatures up to 2000F, exhibit ductility, fabricability and joinability not found in commercially-available materials. An envelope type of microstructure was produced in compositions containing at least 90 wt% tungsten by liquid-phase sintering of cold-pressed powders in hydrogen. At room temperature the alloys could be rolled extensively, and tensile elongations up to 25% were noted. Strength properties of a W-Ni-Fe base were improved by small quaternary additions. The ultimate tensile strength of a 90W-4.8Ni-3.2Fe-2Ru alloy was 46,700 psi at 2000F, compared to 30,000 - 35,000 psi for unalloyed tungsten or W-Ni-Fe; the 100-hour stress-rupture strength at 1600F was 15,000 psi. Excellent joints were produced by spot welding and localized induction heating. The oxidation resistance of unprotected 90 wt% tungsten compositions was not significantly affected by alloying."

The following document is a note describing the process of building a nuclear density gauge and its improved features in comparison to previously reported density gauges.

This document will be concerned with the design, operation and maintenance of an automatic fuel element stamping machine. In order to take advantage of automatic unloading and length checking at the Acme-Gridley lathes in the 313 Building, automatic stamping of fuel elements is desirable. This, along with the need for a permanent canning line identification, resulted in a request for a machine to automatically stamp HAPO fuel elements on a production basis.

Organic compounds with high boiling points and low corrosion qualities have been considered for use as reactor coolants and moderators. Those being considered, however, have a greater tendency to leak than does water. A program to evaluate mechanical closures to be used for a leak-tight system for organic fluids has been established. Report HW-59446 covered descriptions of the facility used in this study and the primary results of tests covering two liquids, fittings, and instrumentation. This report will cover final results and other pertinent information.

The decontamination of the present Hanford reactors involves a once-through cleaning operation. Considerable interest has also been shown in determining the feasibility of this once-through technique for cleanup of certain portions of the NPR system. This report contains information on a series of tests performed in the 242-B single pass flow facility. Information concerning the following are presented: (1) Efficiency of decontaminating KER Loop 1 and 2 contaminated specimens. (2) Efficiency of decontaminating present reactor pigtails by different methods. (3) Areas that need further study.

Formulas derived from earlier work satisfactorily predicted low frequency ground effects resulting from the Pre-Gnome explosions, but they not predict high accelerations associated with high frequency ground waves. The Pre-Gnome experiments taken since indicated that accelerations and ground amplitudes are proportional to the explosive charge, but physical conditions limit extrapolation on this basis to relatively low yields. Predicted accelerations resulting from the 10 kt Gnome explosion in potash mines eight or more miles away will be somewhat less than from routine blasts in the mines. The compressional wave speed in the salt stratum of the area is about 14,000 feet per second.

Operating plant experiences in restoring to useful service failed equipment contaminated through exposures to radioactive processes is of international interest to the nuclear industry. In accordance with a request from the Hanford Operations Office of the United States Atomic Energy Commission this report of the various measures taken in rehabilitating for re-use expensive engineered equipment has been compiled by the General Electric Company. This report is a review and summary of the disposition of contaminated major processing equipment at Hanford Atomic Products Operation during 1958-1959 and a listing of 1) equipment buried, 2) equipment stored, to be buried or decontaminated, and 3) equipment decontaminated and returned to service.

Abstract. The cross section of photoneutron production in Be9 at energies of 1.692, 1.720, and 1.78 Mev has been investigated using radioisotope gamma-ray sources. Neutron counting was by manganous sulfate bathe and a long counter. Gamma-ray counting was by a scintillation spectrometer consisting of a NaI(T1) scintillation crystal and a 256 channel pulse-height analyzer. A theoretical treatment of the P [right arrow] S transition near threshold using square-well potentials is also presented.

Critical mass experiments to be conducted at HAPO will require dilute and concentrated plutonium solutions. Since very high plutonium concentrations (~2,000 g/l) cannot be attained in pumpable solutions, solid plutonium compounds will be utilized for this phase of the work. Mixtures of plutonium oxide and polyethylene, methyl methacrylate or paraffin compacted in containers have been considers for use in highly-concentrated plutonium systems of known hydrogen to plutonium atomic ratio (H/Pu).

The following document describes the usage of the LRL 9-ZOOM code, a neutron diffusion theory reactor code for the IBM 709. The code has been modified to solve configuration of a series of stacked cylindrical disks, designating a new geometry case.

Applications of sheathed (metal) thermocouples may require in many instances, the insertion of the thermocouple thermal junction into an area that must be hermetically sealed to the outside. This same area usually contains highly reactive heat transfer medium such as an eutectic alloy of sodium and potassium of sodium alone. When fissionable materials are being irradiated, fission products that are driven off would also be present and must be contained under varying temperatures and pressures.

The Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor is heavy water moderated with a heavy or light water reflector contained by a complex aluminum vessel called a Calandria. ( See Figure 1). Construction of this vessel started in August, 1958, at a large West Coast vendor's plant and was completed at Hanford in December, 1959. The fabrication problems associated with a high integrity welded aluminum vessel were generally unrealized prior to this period. This report covers the fabrication of the Calandria and lists recommendations for improving the design and reducing the cost.

This semiannual progress report and future reports will be published as two documents to permit a wider distribution of the unclassified material. The report numbers are assigned in sequence so that the two reports will fall together when filed by report number.