A report which deals with the Redox IA Column studies made in small-scale columns packed with 3/16-in. Fenske helices and using NH4NO3 salting agent.

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.

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.

This report discusses a proposed method for treating the effect of increasing critical mass of plutonium solutions, which occurs when hydrogen density is reduced by dilution with heavier nuclei.

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

Purpose: "The Hanford Works Analytical Manual for Process Water is designed to specify the analytical methods to be applied for control purposes in the Reactor Section, Process Sub-Section laboratories. The procedures are in general form and serve as references rather than outlined laboratory instructions. The manual us designed to replace the "Hanford Works Manual," HW-12862."

This report examines the failure of two 18-8 grade stainless steel gate valves used in sulfamic acid and determines the cause of the failures through a series of tests.

The following report is one of a series of rolling tests to establish the rolling process for Feed Materials Production Center at Fernold, Ohio. The primary objective of this program is to find a mechanically feasible process for continuous rolling of uranium.

The objective of this report is to analyze the basic engineering problems involved in the design of a pressurized demonatration reactor to be moderated and cooled with heavy water. Two fundamental concepts of this reactor, here referred to as the HWER, are as follows: (1) a tank-type reactor, in which the moderator pressure is maintained at or near atmospheric conditions, and (2) a pressurized vessel-type reactor in which the moderator pressure is maintained at 1000 to 1300 psi. The fuel and primary coolant channels in either case will be designed for an internal pressure pressure of 1000 to 13000 psi.

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.

On May 2, 1955, a request for comments on the construction and design of proposed continuous calciners was submitted to this unit by W. M. Harty. This request was complied with and a letter containing comments and suggestions on the design and construction of these calciners was written to him on May 6, 1955. The major suggestions were: 1) that the shell of the calciner be made as thin as possible, using external ribbing for structural strength, and 2) that the material of construction be type 304-L stainless steel welded with type 308-L rod. The recommendation regarding design was based on work performed by Collins, Krivobok, and this unit, which indicated that thick sections, on the order of one inch, tend to crack when subjected to thermal cycling. Type 304-L stainless steel was recommended as the material of construction because of its resistance to weld and base metal cracking, and because recent investigations indicate that a neucleation of precipitated carbides occurs after extended service in the sensitizing temperature range. On May 25, 1955, this unit received a letter from W. M. Harty stating that, on the basis of design considerations, the calciners would be fabricated from one inch thick type …

The first and third slugs downstream from the H-Loop ruptured and a piece of can wall from the ruptured slug were received from Pile Materials Sub-Section for metallurgical examination. The examination has been completed and the extent and type off aluminum corrosion which occurred on these samples has been determined.

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.

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.

This report summarizes experimental results obtained for the General Electric Company under terms of Design, Development and Research Contrast DDR-33. A discussion of the results, the manner in which they were obtained and their probable accuracy are included. Suggested improvements or modifications of properties of this nature be contemplated.

A part of the development activities of the Process Equipment Development Group, Chemical Development, HLO through the year 1959 has consisted of test evaluation of some of the never products of manufacturers, design and refinement of novel units to do certain specialized jobs and development of improved components for existing plant equipment. Modification of present chemical processing methods and investigation of new basic procedures have made it necessary to utilize different and "exotic" materials, titanium, has given rise to another problem-- that of the selection of adequate and compatible bearings where the titanium is used as moving or rotating part.

This report was written to describe the instrument and test results obtained. It is understandably imperative that such alarming devices be incorporated in various areas of the plant to provide an alarm or warning for increasing dose rate from gauss radiation fields.

A previous study has been completed on the buildup and decay of xenon poisoning in the PRTR by simulating the reactor as a single region. The results of this study indicated that a study using a more refined model of the reactor would be valuable.

The presence of large amounts of plutonium in high exposure uranium will give rise to a large, positive, graphite reactivity, temperature coefficient. This will create control problems in normal operation and also in the event of loss of cooling. Some general suggestions are given for the solution of these problems. The magnitude of the coefficient is probably known within ± 25% at present and a program is planned to reduce this uncertainty. The uncertainty is of minor importance in the operating control problem but of considerable significance in the disaster control problem.

In the decladding of stainless steel clad fuel elements with sulfuric acid (the Sulfex process), the loss of core material to the decladding solution is determined by the rate of reaction of the core material with the solution and the time of exposure if the core to the solution. Since very little was known about the effects of irradiation history on the rates at which core materials dissolve in sulfuric acid, the present study was undertaken in an effort to determine the magnitude of such effects. This report summarizes the results obtained to date. Further work is planned when materials of higher burn-up are available.

In October 1959, a combination testing station developed at HAPO was reported to the Sheath committee. This testing station consisted of electronic instrumentation and mechanical scanning equipment to check coextruded fuel elements (rod and tube) for clad thickness, clad integrity, bond, and core integrity. The clad tests are performed by eddy current methods and the other are ultrasonic.

Knowledge of the effects of interaction between vessels or units containing fissionable material is important for the safe handling, storage, and shipping of these containers. Expressions for the effect of neutron interaction on criticality have been derived for the cases of bare and tamped spheres as well as tamped, infinitely tall cylinders containing fissionable material. The method considered did not apply to the interaction between bae cylinders. In practice, the interaction between vessels in a separations plant or between storage units in an array more nearly approaches the bare condition than it does the tamped condition. The formulation of a method that is applicable to bare or water-tamped and to tall or short vessels will be presented at this time.

This twenty-sixth quarterly report of the research and development activities of the Radiological Sciences Department, Hanford Atomic Products Operation, as before, includes some items charged to control but included for general interest. Such are identified as "not charged to research". The previous report of this series was numbered HW-41026 January 11, 1956.

The use of process-solution-lubricated sleeve bearings in rotating equipment is quite extensive at H.A.P.O. The difficulty or impossibility of providing contact maintenance, the poor lubricating qualities and corrosive natures of most of the process solutions, in addition to radioactivity, impose stringent restrictions on the selection of materials of construction of these bearings. Prototypical evaluation of materials indicating suitable characteristics in preliminary testing, both in the Corrosion Laboratory and in the bearing test machines, is necessary to establish behavior and compatibility under actual or simulated process conditions. These preliminary tests showed that gold and gold alloys might be used as satisfactory materials for pump bearings under certain conditions. This report presents the test results obtained while testing bearings in pumps prototypical or identical with process plant equipment.