Report issued by the Bureau of Mines over studies conducted on manganese deposits of Aroostook County, Maine. Descriptions of the deposits, and the results of the study are presented. This report includes tables, maps, illustrations, and photographs.

From abstract: Radioactive manganese deposits have been found in two swamps and at one locality on the northeast bank of the Rio Itapicuru near Mosquete, municipio of Itapicuru, State of Bahia, Brazil. The occurrences are related to warm springs and consist of surficial manganiferous sinter and of sandstone impregnated with manganese.

Report discussing performance estimates for several airplanes using General Electric AC-210 ramjet nuclear-powered engines. Assumptions used for designing the engines, radiation shield, and airframe are described. Potential tradeoffs in regards to power and weight reduction are also discussed.

One of the major factors restricting reactor power levels is the incidence of ruptured slugs. The primary purpose in studying ruptures is to determine how reactor operating variables affect rupture rates. With this knowledge reactor operating conditions may be adjusted or controlled in the manner that will optimize reactor production. In addition, knowledge of rupture rate relationships are useful in fuel element development and in overall economic studies of existing and proposed reactors and reactor processes. This report is a compendium of various types of rupture information largely developed during the past eighteen months. Plant rupture experience for CY-1957 is reviewed; rupture rate correlations with reactor variables for solid natural uranium material are presented; a comparison between solid and cored natural uranium material rupture rates is made; the basis for current discharging practice of rupture-prone metal lots is discussed. 11 figs., 2 tabs.

This document details activities of the Fuels Preparation Department during the month of March 1958.

An enriched I & E fuel element failed during irradiation under Production Test IP-109-AC in December, 1957. Radiometallurgical examination of this slug was requested by the IPD Process Analysis Operation. This report presents the results of the examination work.

This report details activities of the Chemical Processing Department during the month of March 1958.

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Abstract: A low-level airborne radioactivity survey of parts of Beaverhead and Madison Counties in southwestern Montana was undertaken from June 6 to October 14, 1955. Flying centered around the Ruby Range-Sweetwater Basin area and concentrated on the Precambrian metamorphic complex and Tertiary lake-bed sediments. No commercial uranium deposits were discovered, and no extensions were found of the few known small occurrences. Five areas of high background detected through the survey were investigated on the ground.

The test detailed in this report is a part of a program seeking ways to reduce the amount of radioactivity in reactor effluent water. Arsenic-76 is a major contributor to the gastrointestinal, radiation dose received by downstream users of river water. Phosphorus-32 is the principal radioisotope in the flesh of whitefish caught in the vicinity of the Hanford reservation. Recent activation analyses of the commercial grade sulfuric acid used in process water treatment have indicated that this acid may be an important source of the parent elements that are transformed to arsenic-76 and phosphorus-32 in the reactors. The purpose of this test is to determine if the impurities in commercial grade sulfuric acid have a significant effect on the release rates of arsenic-76 and phosphorus-32 to the river in reactor effluent water.

This report describes the second part of an IBM 704 Computer Code to determine transient thermal stress in pressure vessels. This part computes stresses from temperature distribution determined by the first part. A brief account is given of the solution of axially symmetric thermal stresses, using harmonic stress functions. This is followed by a description of the Code and complete input and operating instructions for a number of problems: a. Transient temperature distribution due to sudden change of temperature. b. Transient temperature distribution due to surface temperature changing as a function of time. c. Thermal stresses for temperature problems ( a ) or (b). d. Thermal stresses due to previously known temperature distribution. The code is known as TURF6. It was found that the computer results for thermal stresses in a solid sphere subjected to a sudden change of temperature at the surface corresponded within 5% of the theoretical values. The IBM 704 Computer required for this code has a 16 K memory, three drums and two tape units.

The schedule for the installation of the PAR slurry loop experiment in the South Facility of the ORR has been reviewed and revised. The design, fabrications and Installation is approximately two weeks behind schedule at this time due to many factors; however, indications are that this time can be made up. Design is estimated to be 75% complete, fabrication 32% complete and installation 12% complete.

The cost and feasibility of blending UNH streams of different uranium enrichments at HAPO was evaluated on a preliminary basis. Cases studied were blending 37.5% enriched UNH with depleted E metal UNH to yield a 0.947% enriched end product, and blending depleted E metal UNH with the depleted natural uranium to yield 0.7115% enriched end product. A reasonable degree of feasibility is indicated for such a blend program at HAPO.

This document discusses the standards and testing relating to the allowable water shutoff times for reactor tubes and crossheaders are based on theoretical calculations. The resulting limits are believed to be quite conservative and to restrict operations unduly in many instances. They are restrictive because of the conductivity and resistance data on which they are based. It is the purpose of the test to obtain the experimental data necessary to determine new water shut-off curves for the reactors. When reliable information is obtained for elevated temperature lattice conductance then theoretical calculations applying to those values will be far more accurate. The information will be related to water shut-off times, reactor safety considerations such as rod strength and drop time versus uranium fuel melting, etc. It can be roughly estimated that this information will reduce the time delay before tube and/or cross-header water shut-off by as much as 25%. This will save approximately one to two days production per year or about $60,000.

From abstract: This report describes geologic and oceanographic factors relevant to the selection of a site in northwestern Alaska, at which an experimental harbor can be created by the explosion of a nuclear device. Part I describes the results of a preliminary survey of the entire coastal and offshore region between Nome and Point Barrow: Part II consists of a more detailed evaluation of the Cape Thompson-Cape Seppings area; and Part III is a theoretical consideration of the effect of the ocean upon the temperature and distribution of permafrost. The report is based entirely upon the study of published and unpublished reports, field notes, and maps, interviews with the few geologists who have visited the region, and the interpretation of aerial photographs.

Introduction: The experimental work reported here was undertaken as a part of the over-all design and development program for a nuclear reactor pressure vessel.

A plot of overpressure versus distance is presented for the fractional psi pressure level. The plot provides a rapid and simple means of estimating the permissible yield at any distance from settled areas.

The idea of ''antiparticles'', as is well known, originated with Dirac, who in establishing the relativistic equations for the electron noted that besides the solutions corresponding to ordinary electrons there were also ''unwanted solutions'' corresponding to particles of electronic mass but of charge +e instead of the electronic charge - e. The discovery of the positron by CD Anderson offered a brilliant experimental confirmation of Dirac's prediction and gave the first example of an ''antiparticle.''

A study of the solubility limits of iron and tin in alpha zirconium at temperatares below 500 deg C is in progress. Dilute alloys were prepared by arc- melting using the highest purity materials. Heat treatment of the alloys involves homogenizntion at 800 deg C followed by severe cold work prior to extended anneals at temperatures between 200 and 500 deg C in 50-degree intervals. Metallographic examination of annealed and quenched structures is the primary mode of investigation. Some magnetic susceptibility studies were also made. (auth)

Iron oxide deposits removed from high pressure system of HRT after the first power run will be annlyzed for Fe/sup 59/ in an attempt to determine the time these deposits were circulated prior to deposition (settling or film formation). Deposits available are film from corrosion specimens (stainless steel, zirconium and titanium) and settled particles. (auth)

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ABS>Uranium metal is produced by the bomb reduction of UF/sub 4/ with Mg. The slag from this reduction contains appreciable quantities of U, either in the metallic or the tetrafluoride form, in addition to the MgF/sub 2/. A process for recovering low enrichmeat U from this slag has gone into operation. A study of the causes of resin attrition and their relative magnitude both from an over-all point of view and with specific reference to the Higgins' Column and Dowex 21K resin is preseated. Equipment was designed, assembled, and tested to investigate the effects of valve action, wall to resin and resin to resin friction, repeated chemical cycling, and column height. Certain mechanical properties of the resin beads were investigated, and some existing plant data were analyzed. A discussion of the probable mechanism of attrition and its contribution to the overall amount of attrition is presented. (W.L.H.)

Investigations of transistor circuits, other circuits, and related equipment for the high-speed computer program are reported. Mathematical methods for hydrodynamic flow problems and an iterative method for linear equations are discussed. Switching theory studies are reported, and the operation and use of ILLIAC in April are summarized. (For preceding period see AECU-3756.) (T.R.H.)

Presented at the Sixth National Conference on Electromagnetic Relays, School of Electrical Engineering Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, Okla. Apr. 1958. A discussion is presented of some causes and remedies for undesirable variability of relay performance characteristics within individual relays, and between relays within a lot, and from lot to lot. Discussed are test results, methods of determining the causes for instability (including the replica technique for studying contact contamination), and examples of corrective action taken to decrease the instability. Recommendations are made concerning steps to improve the designs, to stabilize the performance characteristics during preproduction and production fabrication, and to obtain useful information during final testing. (auth)