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A solidified-metal seal for possible use in moIten-saIt systems was fabricated and tested on a laboratory scale/su The seal consisted of an 80 Au-20 Cu (wt%) sealant alloy in contact with IN0R-8 base metal/su Eleven successive helium-leak-tlght sealings were effected before termination of the test due to a leak in one of the mating parts/su With better control over the heating cycle and slight modifications in seal design, it is expected that the useful life of a seal of this type could be extended even further. (auth)

Criteria for the conceptual design of the proposed Thorium Fuel Cycle Development Facility to be located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were established and are presented. In addition, conceptual layouts of the building and equipment are included. Reference fuel elements and processes that were selected as a basis for developing criteria for the facility are described. (auth)

Experimental determinations of the ionic and electronic emission characteristics of Ta, W, Re, and lr cathodes in vapor thermionic converters are compared. It is shown that Ta provides superior thermal ionization qualities at high pressure compared with W, Re, and Lr. High electronic current densities may be obtained from Cs on Re and Cs on Ir at much lower Cs vapor pressures than from Ta or W. An over-all efficiency of 19% was achieved with a Re cathode at 2440 deg K. (auth)

An investigation was made of heat rejection systems for use in the PL-3 nuclear power plant, designed for placement at Byrd Station, Antarctica. It was concluded that the glycol-coupled surface condenser and air blast cooler combination appears to be suited for PL-3 plant requirements and operating conditions. (auth)

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In refueling development studies performed on PL-3 Phase I design, several methods of fuel transfer, storage, and shipment were investigated. An evaluation of the relative merits of the systems and designs under study, as applied to either the BWR or PWR concepts, is made and optimum designs are selected. An analysis of spent fuel shipping cask shielding requirements is presented, along with recommendations for future study in this area. (auth)

Separate abstracts were prepared on 8 sections of this report. Data are also included on the status of dogs at various time intervals following the injection of various doses of Ra/sup 226/, Pu/sup 239/, Ra/sup 228/, Th/sup 228, and Sr/sup 90/. (C. H.)

A tabulation is presented of values for selected properties of lithium hydride. (M.C.G.)

In the course of a recent study of kinetics parameters, it was found that RE-185, because of its limitations, was inadequate to handle the problems involved with the reactors considered. Program ll88/RE was written entirely independent of and is intended to make RE-185 obsolete. The multigroup calculations of primary interest performed by the code are as follows: the total effective delayed-neutron fraction and its distribution into six ' families'' which are characterized by their periods; the prompt-neutron lifetime; and the worth of delayed and prompt neutrons in the core and blanket regions for all fissionable materials. Fluxes used in these calculations are taken directly from the real and adjoint solutions as obtained by RE-l22. (auth)

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the extent to which Zr and Zr alloys exhibit delayed failure (static fatigune) as caused by a combination of absorbed H and applied stress. Both notched and unnotched specimens of unalloyed Zr and Zircaloy-2 were hydrogenated to 200 ppm and 500 ppm by means of a modified Sieverts apparatus; specimens were evaluated at room temperature. Thus far, no time-dependent fracture was observed which can be attributed to the delayed failure phenomenon; it appears that these materials are relatively insensitive to static fatigune. The effects of grain size, temperature, cold deformation, and superheated water and steam corrosion on susceptibility to delayed failure are being determined. (auth)

Investigation of the behavior of Nb in PbCl/sub 2/ showed that the Nb dissolution rate is quite low. Since stirring increases the rate appreciably, it is likely that the initial reaction is diffusion controlled. A subsequent reaction is linear in rate with an activation energy of 23.4 kcal per mole. Incomplete volatilization of dissolved Nb from PbCl/sub 2/ is due to the presence of lower oxidation states of Nb. The addition of Cl to PbCl/sub 2/ increases the rate of dissolution of Nb. The rate is high enough at reasonable temperatures to be practical for fuel dissolution, e.g. 12 mg min/sup -1/ cm/sup -2/ at 550 deg C and 120 mg min/sup -1/ Cl. Volatilization of NbCl/sub 5/ is 99.9% complete at 550 deg C. (auth)

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Information on fuel cycle cost is presented. Topics covered include: nuclear fuel, fuel management, fuel cost, fissionable material cost, use charge, conversion and fabrication costs, processing cost, and shipping cost. (M.C.G.)

The EGCR was designed to accommodate up to four gascooled experimental loops plus several experimental fuel elements in the open core. Two of the loops will utilize 51/2-in.-O.D. stainless steel tubes passing through the core along an axis which is about 17 in. from the central axis of the core. The other two loops will utilize 91/2-in.-o.d. tubes about 68 in. from the central axis. Inherent safety in the design, facility design, primary loop design, auxiliary systems and equipment design, primary and secondary containment design, instrumentation and controls, and special operations are discussed. (M.C.G.)

The intermediate energy neutron flux existing outside the biological shielding of reactors has not been studied to any great extent previous to this time, because of the lack of an instrument capable of detecting neutrons in the intermediate energy range. The instrument used at the MTR utilizes polyethylene spheres of various sizes to give different amounts of moderation and absorption to the impinging neutrons. A procedure for the approximate determination of the relative number of intermediate energy and fast neutrons is given. By graphical methods the following information is obtained: (1) fraction of intermediate neutrons, (2) fraction of fast neutrons, and (3) the approximate average energy of the fast neutrons. Since the instrument described can be used to determine the thermal neutron flux independent of intermediate and fast fluxes, only one instrument is required to determine the neutron flux in all three energy ranges. Dose calculations indicate the intermediate range neutrons give a dose greater than the dose delivered by fast neutrons around the MTR-ETR reactors under normal operating conditions. (auth)

Theoretical and experimental aspects of Lamb waves are considered. These are described as body waves, or modes, which travel throughout an entire plate and are radiated from both surfaces, so that it is possible to detect Lamb waves when the receiver and sender are on opposite sides of the plate. Studies concerning applications of Lamb waves are reported in the field of nondestructive testing. (J.R.D.)

BS>LAMPRE I. The reactor operation is discussed. A malfunction in the shim operation was found and corrective measures taken. The core reloadings and other reactor modifications are described. The results of a gamma scanning of a fuel capsule are given. Fuel and Container Development. The properties and behavior of the Core I and the materials developed for Core II are described. Corrosion tests were carried out on pure Ta containers with molten Pu-Ce-Co alloys at 750 to 900 deg C, and the results indicate that Pu-Ce-Co alloys containing less than 5 g/cm/sup 3/ Pu should be acceptable for use in LAMPRE. The crystal structures of Pu/sub 3/Co and the most Ce-rich compound in the Ce-Co system, Ce/sub 24/Co/sub 11/, were determined. Results are given for a search for ternary eutectic alloys of high U content and for an investigation of the eutectic temperatures of several binary U alloys. Corrosive tests on ceramic materials with molten Mn-Pu-U and Mn-U alloys at 900 to 1000 deg C are summarized. Critical Experiments. Specifications and status are given for PBX. Core Test Facility. The status of the Core Test Facility design is given. The sodium systems, heat dump system, and disassembly cell mockup are …

Results of laboratory studies on the neutralization of Purex-type wastes are reported, including the radiochemical distribution of the fission products in the precipitate and supernate and the effect of sodium and calcium neutralizations on fission-produet separation. The problem of interstitial precipitation encountered when a second incompatible liquid is injected into a formation is discussed. Results indicate a piston-iike displacement of the interstitial liquid by the injected waste with only a small zone of precipitation formed along the contacting edge. Slurry tests were performed to determine the eapacity of various geologic materials for sorption of cesium and strontium from a synthetic Purex-type waste containing carriers and tracers. The materials studied include sands, feldspars, shales, clays, and limestone. The amount of cesium sorbed was found to be a function of several variables, among which are concentration of cesium in the waste, concentration of other cations, amount and nature of the clay material, and composition and amounts of other minerals in the disposal formation. Several types of shales and clay minerals, including illite, bentonite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, halloysite, and Conasauga shale, were slurried with simulated neutralized 6 M Purex waste. Sorption of cesium ranged from 0.6 to 6.0 mg/20 g, respectively, for the various …

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ABS>Notes from a series of l5 lectures on many-body theory given at Argomme Nationaf Laboratory in the spring of 1961 are presented. Topics covered include: formalism of quantum field theory, Heisenberg and interaction representations, Green's functions in the many-body problem, perturbation expansion for Green's functions, high-density electron gas, and theory of superconductivity. (M.C.G.)

A thermal flowmeter was designed and tested which will measure a wide range of flow rates for highly corrosive gases. Response to flow rate changes is fast. The pararaeters for changing the size and response to the flowmeter were evaluated. (auth)

The fast neutron fluxes in selected positions of the MTR were measured for Cycle 146. The measurements were made at the beginning, throughout, and at the end of the cycle (564 Mwd). Vertical traverses for each position monitors are shown. (auth)

A radial density-distribution function for liquids was derived with the aid of the assumption that vibrational modes exist in liquids. The distribution function was obtained only for elastically scattered neutrons. A study of si(s) curves as a function of temperature, as well as the energy distribution of the scattered neutrons, affords a way in which to construct a model describing the motion of atoms in a liquid. (auth)