Report issued by the Bureau of Mines over investigations of coking coal reserves of Sequatchie County, Tennessee. Testing to determine suitability for producing metallurgical coke is also presented. This report includes tables, graphs, maps, illustrations, and photographs.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Effective date for allocation of welfare funds under House Bill 413, 54th Legislature, and related questions.

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Payment of Federal Documentary Stamp Taxes by the University of Texas in certain instances.

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Interpretation of House Bill 223, Acts of the 54th Legislature, exempting certain persons from noncommercial hunting and fishing licenses.

Introduction: Thorium and rare-earth metals have come into strategic importance in this country in the last few years with the potential use of thorium in the production of atomic power and the development of new uses for the rare earths in the aircraft industry.

Report providing a bibliography and index map for thorium occurrences and rare-earth deposits throughout the United States. The introduction contains information on these deposits' uses, the industry surrounding these deposits and its problems, and ore deposits.

A report about uranium on the Colorado Plateau which is related to coalified wood, crude oil, carbonaceous shale, and carbonaceous matter of unknown origin.

From abstract: "Age determinations by the Larsen method are reported for the four Paleozoic plutonic series of New Hampshire."

Report discussing a geological study to determine the trace element composition of the ore deposit of the Peanut Mine in Montrose County, Colorado.

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."

Abstract: "Refinement of grain size of the base uranium-chromium eutectic alloy (uranium-5 w/o chromium) by ternary additions is discussed. Thirteen additions to the base alloy were investigated, and three additions were found to exhibit worthwhile grain-refinement tendencies. The three alloys, uranium-5 w/o chromium-0.2 w.o molybdenum, uranium-5 w/o chromium-0.2 w/o germanium, and uranium-5 w/o chromium-0.2 w/o niobium, were heat treated to produce final grain-size structures of between 0.015 and 0.033 mm."

The following report focuses on an investigation made to determine if vacuum melting was an absolutely necessary step in the metallurgical process of melting and casting uranium.

Abstract: "A study of plastic flow during the extrusion of tubing was made by extruding colored Plasticine billets in a small-scale extrusion press. Decreasing the included angle of the conical die and tapering the ram end of the billet decreased the amount of coextrusion of the backer block into the tubing, lubricating the billet also decreased coextrusion."

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.

Abstract: "By a simple illustration it is pointed out that, conceivably, the real coupled character of the general magnetohydrodynamic equations may lead to much slower instability growth rates, if not stabilization, than predicted from the linearized set of equations."

The following report provides results from investigations of torsional vibration stresses in the drive shafts of two Westinghouse motor generator sets in 1952.

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 describes investigations of the geology and uranium-vanadium deposits of Monogram Mesa and adjacent areas in Paradox Valley and Bull Canyon.

A design study has been made of a graphite superheating reactor, a graphite moderated reactor with a heat rating of 305 Mw which produces superheated steam. It is designed for the production of plutonium and electrical power or for the production of electrical power only. The fuel elements for dual- purpose operation are U metal, while for single purpose action, they are uranium oxide. The fuel elements are cooled by a 7-pass system in which preheated water enters the bottom of the first pass and is discharged as superheated steam at the top of the seventh pass. The reactor control consists of shim control by the gas system, vertical gas-cooled control rods, vertical safety rods, and a ball safety system. Rough cost estimates indicate that the capital cost of the reactor should be comparable to other reactors of similar heat output.

The primary objective of the tests described herein was to determine if the standard five bend connector (drawing H-1-23475) and/or the T. F. Robinson three bend connector (drawing SK-1-20855) fabricated from Type 304 stainless steel tubing would satisfy the requirements of the K reactors. Results of the tests show that the standard five bend connector made from Type 304 stainless steel 0.065 inch wall tubing, in the as bent condition, with either cadmium plated Parker brass nuts and sleeves or cadmium plated high carbon steel nuts and sleeves, is suitable for installation of the K reactors.

A new type of flexible hose connector consisting of a Teflon tube enclosed in a stainless steel wire braid sheath was proposed for use on 105-C rear face in late 1954. A test was initiated to determine the suitability of Teflon, and specifically Fluoroflex Teflon compound for rear face application. Probable useful life limit is estimated at 10⁶ R, which would be attained in about three years in contact with fresh effluent.

Fillerwelding is a fusion welding process that provides for the automatic addition of controlled amounts of fillerwire during inert-gas-shielded tungsten-arc welding. Fillerwelding aluminum jacketed fuel elements has been successfully demonstrated and is being used on a routine basis. This manual was written to provide the necessary information to operate and maintain the fillerweld equipment.

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.

This report constitutes the Quarterly Progress Report covering April-June 1955, for the Health Instruments Division research and development activities. Most of the studies described concern the biological fate, environmental transport of radioactive effluents, or development of instrumentation for radiation detection.