A summary of the laboratory development program on aqueous uranium slurry fuels for the Homogenous Reactor Project during the period April 1951 through March 1953 is presented. These investigations were devoted primarily to a study of the uranium oxides in aqueous suspensions. It was concluded that U(VI) was most likely to be the stable valence state in such slurry fuels and it was shown that β-UO3·H2O platelet crystals were the stable modification at 250°C. Very pure slurries of β-UO3·H2O platelets, uranium concentration of 250g/liter and average particle size of about 10 μ, had favorable settling rates and could be easily redispersed. Their viscosity and corrosion rate in stainless steel were comparable with those in water. Exposure of these slurries to pile radiation disclosed that radiolytic hydrogen and oxygen gas pressure comparable in magnitude to those of uncatalyzed uranyl sulfate solutions could be expected. Fission products in the irradiated slurries were predominantly associated with the solids. Radiation also tended to promote caking of these solids on the walls of the radiation bombs. Uranyl phosphate and the magnesium uranates were briefly investigated as alternate system but were not found satisfactory. The program was discontinued before the feasibility of uranium slurries for reactor …

New systems involving the exchange of boron between boron trifluoride and boron trifluoride addition compounds have been explored. These systems have large separation factors and potentially simple reflux mechanisms. A precise determination of this separation factor for the anisole-boron trifluoride system gave the value (see report). Boron exchange was found to occur between BF and BCl3. Several homogenous catalysts have been found which activate the hydrogen-water exchange, but none are adoptable to the production of deuterium because of the slow exchange rate. Platinum or platinum oxide may be usable as a heterogeneous catalyst with proper support or dispersion techniques. The high-pressure solubility of hydrogen in several amalgams was investigated in connection with a unique countercurrent exchange system. A proposed system involving isotopic exchange between lithium dipivaloylmethane in diethyl ether and lithium hydroxide in aqueous solution was shown to give little or no isotopic separation. Column studies of the carbonate system exchange reaction were concluded with a 40°C run. Slightly higher enrichment of N15 was obtained than at 30°C . The temperature dependence of all in this system was measured between 15 and 45°C. The factor increases with temperature, showing a tendency toward a maximum near 45°C. Isotopic exchange appears to …

Reactivity measurements conducted in the Hanford Test Pile are interpreted to yield resonance integrals for uranium, uranium oxide, thorium and thorium oxide. The experiments were made using cadmium filters and are discussed in terms of the multiplication factor of the Hanford Test Pile.

Abstract: "The shock-tube experiments of Professor R. G. Fowler and his co-workers at the University of Oklahoma, and of Professor Arthur Kantrowits and his group at Cornell University, are reported by the author, who visited the laboratories of the two groups. Fowler's group has studied expanding low-pressure sparks; Kantrowits and his group have studied shocks produced by the adiabatic expansion of a compressed gas."

Values of copper tubing pressure drops as determined by test for low flow rates of air, helium, carbon dioxide and water are contained herein. The work was performed in order to provide original data, useful for design work at Hanford Atomic Products Operation, and not available in any known handbook or other publication.

Metallographic examination of an irradiated powder metal uranium slug from PT-313-105-4M⁽¹⁾ was undertaken primarily as an evaluation of recently remotized metallographic equipment. It was, also, proposed to compare the grain size with values obtained ultrasonically on the same slug. It was further proposed to make a comparison, so far as limited data permitted, of post-irradiated powder metal uranium grain size with that to be expected from normal uranium similarly irradiated.

Graphite suffers radiation damage when exposed to high energy particles. Many of its physical and chemical properties are changed. One of the effects which is easily measured is an increase in the interlayer or C₀ distance of the crystal lattice. This has been attributed to the displacement of atoms or groups of atoms into interstitial positions of the lattice forcing the planes apart. The C₀ expansion may be annealed out by heating the damaged crystal to high temperatures. This paper deals with the rate of annealing of C₀ damage at several constant temperatures.

From introduction: "This report describes the second phase of the work on the application of protective coatings to uranium by vapor deposition to reduce or prevent its corrosion by water."

These initial operating procedures have been prepared for interim use during the first operation of Basins I, II, and III. They will be revised and included in the operating manual for the entire 105-C Metal Examination Facility.

Although the results reported herein are rather encouraging and show the possibilities of utilizing flotation to increase recoveries and in some instances grades, they should not not be considered an optimum. As stated previously, time did not permit a detailed investigation of all reagents an conditions to obtain maximum grades and recoveries, but sufficient data, with enough typical samples, have been obtained to indicate a definite trend and encouragement for further studies. A comparison of the flotation results obtained with each of the samples is presented in Table 2.

Continued work on the adsorbability of metal complexes from concentrated LiCl solutions and LiCl-HCl mixtures on a strong-base anion-exchange resin further demonstrated the much higher adsorbability of these complexes from LiCl solutions than from HCl solutions. The effect is believed to be due to the formation of less strongly adsorbed undissociated chloro-complex acids in the case of the HCl solutions.

The object of this study was to determine whether agitation with ultrasonic energy would significantly increase the dissolution rate of nickel in nitric acid.