A process for hot-press canning of unplated thorium cores in aluminum jackets was developed using wafers of thorium and aluminum for diffusion and bonding studies.

In this document, simple modes are used to demonstrate the importance of different material effects on predicted material behavior. This document should help one understand the basic assumptions made in stress analysis.

The effects of variables on the rate of Purex solvent deterioration were investigated with the emphasis on those deterioration products which cannot be removed by carbonate washing. The deterioration rate was found to be directly proportional to the acid and nitrate ion concentrations, and proportional to the square root of the concentration of nitrite ion. Other observations on the effects of temperature, relative merits of brand name solvents, and the effects of radiation are included. A method of calculating the equilibrium level of the solvent deterioration products based on study conclusions and various estimates is outlined.