Abstract: A definitive investigation of the boron-carbon equilibrium system is being made by X-ray diffraction, metallographic, and thermal analytical techniques. Alloys are being produced by sintering pressed powder aggregates with subsequent arc melting. Alloys have been made at two atomic percent intervals up to thirty atomic per cent carbon. In the future, higher carbon compositions are to be investigated. Techniques have been worked out for the metallographic preparation of the extremely hard and friable alloys.

This quarterly progress report details ongoing work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project. Topics of discussion include reactor theory and design, shielding research, materials research, appendixes with information on ongoing analytical chemical studies.

Nitrate contained in raffinates from Canadian Blind River mills interferes seriously with thorium extraction by secondary amines. With primary amines, however, the effect is negligible and these compounds are the preferred process extractants.

The method of calculation of various quantities relating the temperature and the rate of heat removal of UO2 test elements is presented. Graphs of the appropriate quantities as a function of the rate of heat removal are included.

Many elements exhibit anisotropic scattering at energies of interest in reactor calculations. A method is presented for the calculation of transport cross sections including the observed anisotropy.

"Neutron total cross sections for bismuth and uranium have been measured in a good geometry transmission experiment, using a time-of-flight instrumentation. The source of neutrons was the stripped deuteron beam of the 184-inch synchrocyclotron. The results are shown in Fig. 1. Uncertainties are shown in terms of standard deviations, due to counting statistics only, and to energy channel width."

Abstract: Various procedures for extracting uranium from fiberglass air filters have been tested and compared. Satisfactory results which involve the least amount of handling are obtained by simply washing the material with hot 1:1 hydrochloric acid.

The opacity and thermodynamic properties of air at temperatures above 10 e.v. and densities below normal have been calculated under the guidance of H. Mayer in accordance with the prescription given in AECD 1870 (LA-647). Corresponding to given densities and temperatures, self-consistent distributions of electrons in bound states and their eigen energies are determined. With this information we compute the thermodynamic properties of air and the frequency-dependent absorption coefficients. Finally the opacity--a weighted average of the latter--is found

Wells drilled to date on the Hanford project represent and initial investment of over one million dollars. These nearly six hundred wells have been used and will continue to be used for observation and monitoring purposes of direct interest to ground disposal of radioactive wastes. Through measurement of depth to the water table the changing gradients as a result of large volume waste disposal are determined and direction of ground water flow established. The extent of contamination in ground water is measured in samples dawn from these wells. Aquifer permeability is measured and ground water velocity predicted from pumping tests carried out out in these structure

Recent studies on the separation of cobalt and nickel and on the behavior of iron in hydrochloric acid on Dowex-1 resin in relation to the selective adsorption of chloride complexes of these elements have suggested the use of resin for the separation of iron and cobalt.

A resin-in-pulp process was developed using a series of fixed-screen or Winchester cells. Various laboratory and pilot plant models were constructed and tested under simulated plant conditions. The fixed-screen device proved very effective in the recovery of uranium and/or vanadium by a continuous, resin-in-pulp process.