From Introduction: "Descriptions of the functional requirements of the facility, together with preliminary concepts of methods for meeting them, are presented in this prospectus."

A plutonium-aluminum alloy containing 4 atom per cent aluminum showed no attack after exposure to purified NaK for one month at 400 C in the absence of any oxide. The same specimen and other plutonium alloys, including pure plutonium, showed marked deterioration in shorter exposure in the presence of oxide films from a welded stainless steel container. Pure uranium was resistant even in the presence of such oxides.

The purpose of this work was to study reagents which might be effective in dissolving uranium oxide produced during slug failures in water-cooled reactor systems. An aspect of this problem which has subsequently become of primary importance is the solubility or transportability of the oxide in pure water.

From Forward: "As their contribution, the Metallurgy Division of Argonne National Laboratory was asked to assemble all available unclassified and declassifiable data on the resistance of materials to attack by liquid metals. The resulting collation of data is contained in this report."

A fused fluoride process for dissolution of zirconium-uranium fuel alloys is being developed. The alloy is dissolved in an equimolar sodium fluoride-zirconium fluoride melt at 600°C by sparging the system with hydrogen fluoride. The uranium is volatilized from the melt as the hexafluoride by a sparging operation with fluorine or bromine pentafluoride vapor. This product is then decontaminated and purified by fractional distillation.

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing progress made on reactor development. Progress made on the core, pressure vessel and shield, and the power plant are presented. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

Physical calculations have been performed for various combinations of the four types of fuel assemblies to be used in the EBWR core. Two thicknesses of plates (0.205 in. and 0.274 in., including two 0.020-in. cladding layers) are to be made of both natural uranium and uranium containing 1.44% U235. Any given fuel assembly contains six identical plates. A total of 148 assemblies, 74 natural and 74 enriched, are to be fabricated. Various configurations of these fuel assemblies can be used to (1) change the critical size of the core, (2) change the power distribution in the core or (3) change the amount of reactivity corresponding to a given steam volume in the core. Physics calculations show that any uncertainties in the required critical mass are adequately covered by the number and variety of fuel assemblies, and that the changes in core characteristics possible with the different fuel assemblies should provide valuable information about the factors affecting maximum power density and stability in a boiling reactor.

A method for monitoring radiation damage irradiations using the change of the electrical conductivity of graphite is described. Results of monitoring operations in a number of locations are given. An attempt is made to explain the damage rate found in the converter at CP-3. An estimate of the flux spectrum in VT-4 and the converter of CP-3 is made and the damage rate is computed according to theories of Seitz and James. It is found that the experimental results are more in accord with the predictions of Seitz. A number of corrections to James' report, ORNL-307, are noted in an appendix. It is shown that some information about the fast flux spectrum can be inferred from the radiation damage rate.

The radioactive content of samples of rain, surface water, soil, plants, and material from the beds of surface waters (bottom silt) which were collected and analyzed during 1953 are given in this report. Samples were collected form the Laboratory site, at locations with 25 miles, and at places 100 miles from the Laboratory. Since Laboratory waste water is discharged into Sawmill Creek, water from the this stream was analyzed daily. Other samples were collected from the Laboratory site periodically, and collections from the off-site locations were made at approximately quarterly intervals. Most of the results were obtained by counting total alpha and beta activity; selected samples were analyzed for specific nuclides and elements. The total activity measurements provided a rapid means of determining general levels of radioactivity which could be compared between samples and indicated which samples should be analyzed in more detail. Radioactive contamination attributable to Laboratory operations was found only in water and bottom silt taken from Sawmill Creek below the outfall of Laboratory waste water (below site).

Concurrently with the production of canned uranium slugs for pile operation there arises the problem of nondestructive testing so that no slug which may fail structurally during operation be placed in the pile. The ultimate goal of any such testing program is to devise nondestructive testing methods which will eliminate defective slugs. A secondary goal of the testing program is to learn as much as possible about the construction of the canned slug so that the mechanisms of failure can be understood. Radiography, an increasingly useful nondestructive test method, offered one possible way of investigating this area.