Quarterly report of the Chemistry Division at the University of California Radiation Laboratory providing updates for each department about current findings and ongoing research.

Methods of producing extremely clean surfaces on rolled Zircaloy-2 strip have been investigated. It has been found that the finer abrasives, 400 mesh or finer, are more effective than coarse types because of their ability to penetrate pits and crevices more readily. Two such cleanings, with an intermediate 35 v/o HNO3-5 v/o HF pickle, resulted in a microscopically clean surface. Ultrasonic inspection of the EBWR fuel plates has been completed during this quarter. Approximately 95% of the plates were found acceptable. All subassemblies manufactured from the EBWR plates met dimensional specifications and passed 9-day corrosion tests at 290°C (550°F). All thoria-urania pellets for the loading of Borax-IV have been pressed, loaded into tube plates, and fabricated into subassemblies. The total number of subassemblies made was 82, of which 72 were fuel plates and 10 were blanket plates, more than sufficient for the loading. The reactor has gone critical using this loading.

This report describes the design, construction and operation of a sub-critical nuclear reactor, intended for college teaching of reactor physics and of nuclear phenomena.

The absolute differential cross sections for elastic scattering of 31-Mev He3 ions on Be, Al, Cu, Sn(nat), Sn120, and Bi have been measured in the angular range of approximately 10 to 120 deg in the center-of-mass system. Thin self-supporting foil targets were chosen to span the parameter A 1/3, where A is the target mass number. The first excited states of the isotopes of the above elements had sufficient energy separation from the ground state to enable elastic scattering to be resolved from inelastic scattering. The detection system, consisting of Cal(Tl) scintillation crystals, was capable of 3%pulse-height resolution and 1 degree angular resolution. Characteristically, the light-element angular distributions show strong diffraction effects. The differential cross section divided by the Rutherford cross section decreases exponentially at large angles for the heavy elements, and the differential cross sections break away from Rutherford behavior at angles which increase almost linearly with increase of atomic number of the target nucleus. A comparison of the results for natural tin, and tin enriched to 85% in Sn120, indicated that within the experimental uncertainties over the measured angular interval, there were no pronounced isotopic effects. The data are presented both in tabular and graphical form to allow …

Accurate knowledge of the lattice parameters comprised in the four factor formula k∞=η∈Pi are required for optimum designing of reactors. In the special case of cluster fuel elements conventional handbook formulas are of little use. It is the intent of this paper to report the results of some recent improvements in the calculation of these parameters. By the addition of certain refinements in the calculation of these parameters. By the addition of certain refinements to the conventional calculational methods considerable success has been obtained in the correlation of theory with experiment.

Quarterly progress report for the Chemistry Division of the University of California Radiation Laboratory: nuclear chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, metals and high temperature thermodynamics, basic chemistry, and chemical engineering.

This report supersedes the similarly titled report dated December 31, 1958. It describes briefly features of the Dresden plant and proposes technical specifications.

Attempts to secure a high degree of synchronization of cell division of the Krebs mouse ascites carcinoma, by combined use of aminopterin and citrovorum factor, and by use of colchicine and N-acetyl colchinol, were unsuccessful. In the course of the work, a new method for securing smears of ascites tumor cells was out, which we believe will be found useful

The adsorption of acetic and oleic acids on the surface of thoria was studied by means of infrared spectroscopy. An infrared analysis of the adsorbates before and after adsorption using differential double bean methods indicated that the adsorption of organic acids on thoria surfaces occurs by an esterification reaction between the organic acid and the hydroxylated thoria surface. Ammonia vapor will not adsorb on thoria, indicated the basic character of the hydroxylated surface.

This technical report constitutes a brief review of the work undertaken, entirely or in part, under the Contract AT(30-1)-1772 with eh United States Atomic Energy Commission. The work published during 1959 is listed at the end of this report and copies of the reprints or reports are attached where available. These investigations have been concerned with the examination of defect production and behavior as it may be observed by high frequency ultrasonic attenuation and velocity (modulus) changes in such materials as quartz, silicon, germanium, alkali halides (especially NaCl and XCl), high purity aluminum, and glass containing boron. The irradiations used are cobalt 60 gamma-ray irradiation and the reactor irradiation obtained in the Brookhaven National Laboratory graphite reactor.