The domain and surface structures of metallic sodium tungsten bronzes, NaxWO₃, 0.4 < x < 1, were studied using optical microscopy, supplemented by chemical methods, photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy, etc. The birefringent, multidomain structure of the bronze is exhibited by a sodium-deficient, epitaxial surface film and hence is not, as reported elsewhere, a bulk property. The film can be synthesized by anodic electrolysis in alkaline solution and can exist only epitaxially with the substrate. It is chemically inert, translucent, and often laminated to a multilayered film. The film domain is hypersensitive to lateral stress and to thermal change, and appears to be modulated by minute structural changes of the substrate. This epitaxial modulation of the film is strikingly large at the phase transitions of the substrate induced by slightly different tiltings of the oxygen octahedra. The domain-wall movement is often slow enough to be visible, and that by thermal effect is occasionally accompanied by an audible, high-pitched, snapping sound.

A tritium and hydrogen transport model has been employed to simulate concentration profiles, tritium losses to auxiliary containment systems, and cold trap burdens for EBR-II, CRBR, and FFTF. Experimental data from EBR-II were found to correlate well with calculated tritium and hydrogen profiles. A major change relative to previous transport models, namely, the inhibiting effect of oxide coatings on tritium permeation through reactor structural surfaces, has been incorporated into the current model. Tritium release rates to auxiliary systems where oxide barrier effects were included were predicted to be approximately two orders of magnitude lower than those for the reference case where structural surfaces were assumed to be totally oxide-free. Tritium releases during operation of large LMFBRs are expected to present essentially no hazard to the environment.

Commercial refractories were tested for up to 500 h in both basic and acidic slags. The slag compositions typify those expected in slagging coal gasifiers. The slag temperatures ranged up to 1600 degrees C. Compositions tested have included silicon carbides, chrome-alumina-magnesia spinels, and alumina and magnesia-based refractories with various amounts of chromia and silica. In some tests, the cold faces were water cooled. With water cooling, the silicon carbides showed virtually no attack after 500 h. In the absence of water cooling, the chrome-alumina-magnesia spinels were the most resistant to slag attack but were subject to thermal-shock cracking. Alumina-chrome refractories performed well in acid slags when water cooled, are probably more stable than silicon carbide in coal-gasification atmospheres, and, in the form of ramming mixes, showed excellent thermal-shock resistances. Plans for future testing are described.

PTAC was developed to predict pressure transients in nuclear-power-plant piping systems in which the possibility of cavitation must be considered. The program performs linear or nonlinear fluid-hammer calculations, using a fixed-grid method-of-characteristics solution procedure. In addition to pipe friction and elasticity, the program can treat a variety of flow components, pipe junctions, and boundary conditions, including arbitrary pressure sources and a sodium/water reaction. Essential features of transient cavitation are modeled by a modified column-separation technique. Comparisons of calculated results with available experimental data, for a simple piping arrangement, show good agreement and provide validation of the computational cavitation model. Calculations for a variety of piping networks, containing either liquid sodium or water, demonstrate the versatility of PTAC and clearly show that neglecting cavitation leads to erroneous predictions of pressure-time histories.

The large grain size and anisotropic nature of stainless steel weld metal make conventional ultrasonic testing very difficult. This paper evaluates a technique for minimizing the coherent noise in stainless steel weld metal. The method involves digitizing conventional A-scan traces and averaging them with a minicomputer. Results are presented for an ultrasonic scanner which interrogates a small volume of the weld metal while averaging the coherent ultrasonic noise.

Operation of liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) will result in production of various quantities of radioactive sodium waste. Two methods have been developed and tested on a small scale for converting this sodium waste to inert compounds suitable for disposal. The first method is direct oxidation of the sodium after dispersal in a silica matrix. The sodium is mixed with silica and oxidized in a rotary drum reactor. The product is suitable for making glass when other stabilizing compounds are added. The second method is reaction of elemental sodium with molten sodium hydroxide at 450 degrees C and subsequent injection of steam into the melt to convert the reaction products (Na2O and NaH) to additional sodium hydroxide. The reactions are smooth and easily controlled with little danger of run-away reactions. The end product is molten sodium hydroxide which can be cast into drums for further treatment or disposal. The advantages of these two methods over more conventional aqueous processes are the elimination of aqueous wastes and the elimination of minimization of gaseous effluents.

Abstract: "The Environmental Working Level Monitor (EWLM) is an instrument used to automatically monitor airborne Rn-daughter concentrations and the Working Level (WL). It is an ac powered, microprocessor-based instrument with an external inverter provided for dc operation if desired. The microprocessor's control processor unit (CPU) controls the actuation of the detector assembly and processes its output signals to yield the measurements in the proper units. The detectors are fully automated and require no manual operations once the instrument is programmed. They detect and separate the alpha emitters of RaA and RaC' as well as detecting the beta emitters of RaB and RaC. The resultant pulses from these detected radioisotopes are transmitted to the CPU. The programmed microprocessor performs the mathematical manipulations necessary to output accurate Rn-daughter concentrations and the WL. A special subroutine within the system program enables the EWLM to run a calibration procedure on command which yields calibration data. This data can then be processed in a separate program on most computers capable of BASIC programming. This calibration program results in the derivation of coefficients and beta efficiencies which provides the calibrated coefficients and beta efficiencies required by the main system program to assure proper calibration of the …

This report provides results from a preliminary study to determine rock types and alteration products that are responsible for an observed abundance of radioactive gas at the Trinity Gold Mine in Utah. It includes an overview of the study and the location, description of the methods and general statements, details about the structure, petrography and mineralogy, and a discussion of findings.

From operational program: This final report includes a general geologic description of the area, including descriptions of the various geologic units and correlates the airborne data to the geologic units as provided by the geologic maps. Also included is a frequency distribution study of the data as a function of the geologic units encountered over the NTMS area including the tie line data.

Abstract: This report presents the results of a study to evaluate the state-of-the-art and determine the feasibility of attaining an extreme weather pollution response capability.

From summary: The purpose of this study was to delineate favorable areas for uranium resources in northeastern Washington and northern Idaho by identifying granitic rocks with relatively large amounts of uranium and (or) thorium. Results are based on analyses of 344 rock samples; 230 were collected during this study, and data for the rest were taken from previous publications.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to examine some of the environmental problems associated with boats and subsystems (equipment), to experiment with test methods, test equipment, data retrieval equipment, and data reduction techniques.

Abstract: Drilling for laboratory testing of concrete and foundation rock was carried out for the U. S. Army Engineer District, Chicago, as part of a major rehabilitation program at the Starved Rock Lock and Dam.

Report on survey of three North Carolina streams for width, depth, and substrate type at 50.4 meter intervals at low water. Monthly fish samples and rotenone samples also collected.

Data collected as part of the hydrogeological and stream sediment reconnaissance for the Sherman NTMS quadrangle including laboratory data on well water and stream sediments as well as field data.

Final report documenting a high-sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Spokane quadrangle including the survey description, specifications, data processing methods, interpretation methods, and regional geologic review.

Second volume of a report documenting a high-sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Spokane quadrangle including maps documenting geophysical and geochemical data, as well as magnetic, ancillary and radiometric data.

Supplementary data containing a geologic plan of the Trinity Gold Mine to accompany a report on the Trinity Mines in Marysvale, Utah.

Supplementary data containing elemental concentration data in rock samples in addition to sample location maps to accompany a report on U.S. uranium resources in Northeastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

From introduction: This report describes work done in the Pueblo, Colorado, National Topographic Map Series (NTMS) quadrangle (1:250 000-scale) by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) as part of the nationwide Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR).

Second volume of a report documenting a high-sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Baltimore quadrangle including results of data interpretation, significance factor profile maps, stacked profiles, and histograms.

Second volume of a report documenting a high-sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Richmond quadrangle including results of data interpretation, significance factor profile maps, stacked profiles, and histograms.

Abstract: Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Sherman Quadrangle, Texas; Oklahoma are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 718 groundwater and 715 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed.

Second volume of a report documenting a high-sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Washington quadrangle including results of data interpretation, significance factor profile maps, stacked profiles, and histograms.