From summary: "The hazards due to possible chemical explosion and detonation of the dissociation gases in homogeneous-reactor systems have been considered."

Abstract: By use of a modified thermobalance and reactor as the primary experimental tool for sample preparation and evaluation, a process has been developed by which parent uranium feed materials of a widely variable reactivity and composition may be converted to a uniformly reactive uranium dioxide.

Technical report. Three extractions of a diethyl ether solution of uranyl nitrate with small portions of water are effective in removing rare earths, as is shown by radio-gadolinium and radio-europium tracer experiments. A study of representative ethers, alcohols, ketones, and esters showed that diethyl ether and a mixture of 85% ethyl methyl ketone with 15% xylene are the best solvents for the extraction.

Technical report abstract. A rapid procedure for the preparation of very pure carrier-free Zr and Nb tracer involves the chloroform extraction of the cupferrides of Zr and Nb activities from process solutions. Zr and Nb form very stable chloroform soluble cupferrides in acid solutions (CK-993) and are separated from other fission elements almost quantitatively to yield pure mixture of Zr and Nb activity. A minimum of operations is required and the method is easily adaptable to remote control.

A study was conducted on the elution behavior of curium (III), americium (III), plutonium (III), actinium (III), plutonium (IV), neptunium (IV), uranium (IV), thorium (IV), neptunium (V), plutonium (VI), uranium (VI), lanthanum (III), cerium (III), europium (III), ytterbium (III), ytterium (III), strontium (II), barium (II), radium (II), cesium (I) with 3.2 M, 6.2 M, and 12.2 M HCI solutions from Dower-50 cation exchange resin columns. These elutions show that in high concentrations of hydrochloric acid the actinides form complex ions with chloride ion to a much greater extent than the lanthanides. In order to explain these results, a partial covalent character may be ascribed to the bonding in the transuranium complex ions. It is shown that a reasonable structure for such covalent bonding involves hybridization of the 5g-ortibals in the actinide elements.

This quarterly progress report describes the ongoing research at the Metallurgy Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In particular, this report discusses the thorium research program, the slug problem, the preferred orientation and anisotropy in metals, fundamental studies of alloying, and the ANP program.