Data were obtained in non-flowing and flowing (continuous) batch adsorption systems to serve as a guide to the operating conditions that should be used in a resin-in-pulp adsorption system for the recovery of uranium from ores.

"Contact conductances for three semi-smooth and rough stainless steel contacts involving six steels are determined. The procedure and equipment used are fully described, and the results are given. Graphs display thermal conductance and conductivity versus pressure and temperature."

Apparent excessive concentrations of atmospheric contamination which were reported to be associated with an inert-gas-shielded consumable electrode arc wielding operation were studied to evaluate the potential health hazards. A study was made of the concentrations of metal fume and gaseous products of the operation as well as the spectrum of ultraviolet radiation. Recommendations for necessary controls were made.

Technical report. Long-time tests have been made on the effect of various types of radiation on the corrosion of 2S aluminum in simulated W water. In no case was any acceleration of corrosion by the radiation observed; the effect of radiation, if any, appeared to be a protective one. Deuteron irradiation did accelerate the corrosion of mild steel at low flow rates in hot water of pH 6 to 7, but no appreciable effect was observed with copper, stainless steel, or tuballoy. The general theory of the effect of radiation on corrosion is discussed, with the conclusion that no acceleration of corrosion by radiation is to be expected in most cases of practical interest.

The spin of neodymium-141 was measured by the method of atomic beams and found to be 3/2. A lower limit placed on the hyperfine separation of the states with total angular momentum [formula] by second-order perturbation theory shows [formula]. A prerequisite for the determination of the nuclear spin from hyperfine-structure measurements is the knowledge of the electronic structure. The ground-state configuration of neodymium is known and the value is used throughout this work.

The following report records the study of albino rats subjected to beta rays and analyzes the skin reactions and metabolic patterns.

The following report discusses the data of the Z-field pick-up loop, an effective diagnostic tool introduced to help experiments with the linear pinch.

Aluminum oxide occupies a larger volume than the aluminum it contains would fill as metal, consequently, the assumption has been made that holes in metallic aluminum would close by a sufficient amount of oxidation. Therefore, we were asked to investigate the rate of plug formation under conditions to be expected in the pile. For the latter we were requested to approach the pile conditions as nearly as we could by employing the Chicago cyclotron. It seems to us that the problem divides itself into two separate questions: (1) under what conditions may holes be expected to close? (2) if holes do close how much corrosion of uranium may be expected before the closure becomes impervious to water vapor? In this report only the first question is considered. The experiments and theory coupled with the data collected by other workers on the project definitely define the limits within which pores in the aluminum cans may be expected to close by an oxidation process. Under the most favorable conditions only small holes may be sealed in this manner. In the large majority of the cases the holes not only fail to close but become larger.

A preliminary report has shown the potential importance of organic reactor coolants to Hanford technology. The salient points are complete avoidance of corrosion problems and accomplishment of DPR performance with low pressure technique. The recommendation of the report that loop tests be made at Hanford is to be acted upon by Recirculation Technology Unit as soon as organic coolant material is received. To insure starting this experimental work fully abreast of the information available, a trip to sites working with organic coolants was made. Specifically, data were sought on practical details of design for handling organic coolants, heat transfer and fouling characteristics, corrosion of materials, and hazards of handling organics.

This report follows experiments on K[infinity], measuring the element for several red sizes, enrichments, and water-to-uranium volume ratios-(1, 2), by making use of the relation k[infinity] = 0M-[2]B-[2] (M-2 = migration area, B = buckling). The purpose of this report is to compare the experimental data for k[infinity] with values calculated from the four-factor formula k[infinity] = [eta][epsilon]pf.

The following report discusses an equation derived by which the maximum allowable concentration in the atmosphere of a beta-omitting isotope for which lung damage is the limiting consideration can be calculated.

Two water quality control labs are being provided for the the NPR. One, a "cold" lab, is located in the183 Building adjacent to the control room. Its primary purpose is to provide facilities for quality control of the output of the filter plant and the demineralizer plant. The other, a "hot" lab, is located in the 190 Building. Its primary purpose is to provide facilities for the quality control of the primary and secondary coolants, and the moderator coolant.

The following report studies the dissolution of aluminum-canned thorium, providing results that suggest a dissolution cycle that permits the separation of the canned-slug components.

The fluorometric method for determining microgram quantities of uranium dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid was reinvestigated for the purpose of measuring any interference caused by plutonium in uranium samples. No plutonium fluorescence, and therefore no positive errors due to plutonium, were observed. Limited transmittance of hexavalent plutonium in sulfuric acid at 513, and especially at 360 millimicrons, produces variable negative errors in uranium determinations.

Facilities are to be designed for installation at Hanford for the reprocessing of irradiated, low enrichment fuels from non-production reactors, see Reference 1 and 2. The initial design of the processing facilities is to be based on processing the fuels discharged from the Dresden, Yankee, Piqua, Pathfinder and Shippingport (blanket elements only) reactors. Properties of the fuels and cladding make it impossible to completely process them in existing equipment, although the separation and decontamination can be performed in existing facilities once the fueks have been placed in solution form.

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.

This report analyzes a linear, hard-core pinch tube built to examine tubes afflicted by small-scale instabilities evident from many observations.

This report describes a toroidal version of the hard-core pinch and the additional information it can obtain to what the analogous linear pinch can get.

An experiment was designed utilizing a charge-exchange reaction to study the decay and interactions of the neutral K mesons produced. The experiment produced no events that could be interpreted as either the decay or interaction of neutral K mesons. The nature of the experiment and the possible explanations of this unexpected result are presented in this paper.

Abstract: "Theoretical differential cross-sections computed from the optical model for 7 Mev neutrons are presented for a large number of nuclei. The parameters used for the calculations were selected on the basis of best fit to existing experimental data."

Abstract: "Theoretical differential cross-sections computed from the optical model for 14 Mev neutrons are presented for a large number of nuclei. The parameters used for the calculations were selected on the basis of best fit to existing experimental data."

Current regulation of a Bitter type electromagnet powered by a 10 kw. motor-generator set has been achieved by control of the generator exciting field. An error signal, obtained by comparing the voltage drop across a series resistor in the magnet circuit with a reference voltage, is fed back with appropriate amplification to the grids of series tubes in the generator field supply. Magnetic fields from 400 gauss to 10 kilogauss in a fixed gap (1.5 in. width and 3.5 in. diameter) are obtainable with regulation to 3 parts in 104 over the major part of this range.

The following report focuses on research made to determine whether the service performance of UO₂ fuel-elements cores for the PWR can be improved by certain ceramic or metal additions.

The measurement of a alpha-particle energy has been used by many radiochemical laboratories for the identification and analysis of alpha-active radio nuclides. The use of the total-ionization method for alpha-active radio-nuclides. The use of the total-ionization method for alpha energy in ionization chamber in which the alpha particle loses all its energy in ionization of the chamber gas. Collection of the electrons thus formed generates a voltage pulse across the chamber capacity which is proportional to the alpha particle energy. This pulse is then amplified using a suitable linear amplifier and fed to a pulses as to amplitude; the information is then recorded or stored. Since the pulse amplitude is proportional to the alpha energy lost to the chamber gas, the pulse height analysis can be used to estimate the energy of the alpha particles and in the case of several alpha emitters of different energies, the relative abundance of the alpha emitters can be determined. An alpha energy analyzer system using the ion collection method has been fabricated for use in radiochemical laboratories required to perform a large number of alpha energy determinations. This report describes the operation, maintenance, and application of this alpha energy analyzer system.