Progress is reported on (1) experimental breeder reactor program, (2) solvent extraction, (3) fluoride volatilization separation process, (4) elevated temperature separations, (5) denitration of uranyl nitrate in a fluidized bed, (6) development of analytical techniques, (7) processing and utilization of radioactive wastes.

In the a study of plutonium production, the analytical solutions of the various isotope production equations are difficult and time consuming when spatial variation of the flux is considered. In an effort to reduce the time and labor required to determine the integrated production of a given thermal reactor, a graphical method of analysis is presented. The method is based on the assumption that the reactor may be divided into a relatively small number of regions such that the flux in each of these regions may be assumed constant. The production of the given isotope for each region is then read from the appropriate graph. The total production is obtained by adding the productions of all the regions.

A fuel element assembly in which a uranium slug is bonded to an impact extruded aluminum can by means of aluminum-silicon eutectic, and in which the can is capped with a thin aluminum disc, brazed and welded to the can, may contain,(a) imperfections common to brazed and welded metal sections, and (b) inhomogeneities arising from oxidation of uranium, and alloy formation between uranium, aluminum and silicon.