Survey of properties of materials which might be suitable for use in various locations in a supercritical-water reactor. Properties examined include tensile strength, rupture strength, endurance strength, Young's modulus, tensile elongation, coefficient of thermal expansion, coefficient of thermal conductivity, density, nominal composition, usual heat treatments and thermal-neutron-absorption cross sections.

This technical report is intended as a brief description of the free convection problem existing in the various annuli of the SIR Mark A rotating plugs. It is by no means a complete report of the plug "hot tests", but merely records some of the more significant experimental observations and presents a few of the theories and calculations made to explain the observed free convection phenomenon. The general discussion which follows is chronological. Details of analyses are relegated to the Appendix.

"Using the Brookhaven fast chopper, transmission curves were obtained for the 6.70 +/- .06 ev resonance in U238 using four different thicknesses of natural uranium metal." The measurements for the transmission curves are summarized in the table provided.

Abstract; Test instruments developed at the Dr. Förster Institute, Reutlingen, Germany, were considered for possible application to Savannah River nondestructive inspection problems involving stainless steel and aluminum tubing. None of the equipment can solve these problems without modifications. Several instruments are recommended for further study in connection with their use with aluminum tubing. None will be considered for use with stainless steel at this time."

Five continuous coatings were produced on zirconium coupons using an anodizing technique. These layers appear to be quite adherent and not subject to visible or audible failure caused by flaxion of the basis metal, Their abrasion resistance, though not investigated thoroughly, appears to be moderately good.

The results of this investigation indicate that maximum electric power generation can be obtained by selecting the turbine steam temperature within a range of plus/minus 30 degrees C. from an "idealized" steam temperature. This "idealized" steam temperature is shown to depend primarily on the maximum permissible uranium temperature. The minimum available condenser temperature and the temperature rise of the coolant in the pile effect the selection of the turbine steam temperature to lesser extent.

In connection with different seals for C & D equipment it appears advantageous that many parts could be made of rubber or other elastic polymers. However, data on the deterioration rate of these materials under irradiation are somewhat scant in the available literature. It appears that for neutrons and pure gamma radiation that a good grade of natural rubber stands up best in all the test reported and because the results of the neutron irradiation are so closely correlated with results from gamma it has been proposed that the principal source of damage is caused by secondary irradiation generated within the rubber by the neutrons.

The conventional volumetric micro-determination of phosphate depends upon the precipitation of phosphomolybdate, filtration and washing of the precipitate, and titration with standard base. The method is slow and tedious, subject to many interferences, and is not applicable to samples containing less than 1-2 mg of phosphate. Other weak acid anions, such as carbonate or acetate, interfere in the method. Strong acid anions, such as nitrate, sulfate, and chloride do not interfere.

The hydrogen contents of several types of fabricated uranium have been determined by a vacuum method and expressed in terms of ccH2/ccU. The data indicate that alpha-rolled metal contains about 0.25 ccH2(STP)/ccU whereas beta heat-treated uranium yielded values between 0.30 and 0.37 cc per cc. Restricted efforts were made to determine where in the heat treatment the 5 to 10 cc of hydrogen per slug were taken up. It appears that no one operation is wholly responsible for this additional gas, although reactions between beta heat treated surfaces containing microscopic defects, and nitric acid may possibly play a large role. In general it may be said that slug produced by powder metallurgical techniques contain less hydrogen than pieces produced by rolling and heat treatment.

Observations on sheep representing flocks in Utah adjacent to the Nevada Proving Ground were compared with findings made on experimental sheep exposed to various amounts of radioiodine. The Utah sheep showed no evidence of the radiation damage observed in experimentally treated sheep. Estimations of amounts of radioiodine on vegetation required to cause serious thyroid damage following a contamination event are included.

Uranium precipitates obtained from Congo leach liquors by an ion exchange process contained more than 0.1 percent chloride. Attempts were made to reduce the chloride content of typical precipitates by calcination of dried precipitate, releaching of dried precipitate with water, and washing of wet precipitate with water. Washing of wet precipitate with an aqueous solution of 0.25 percent Na2SO4, to prevent peptization, provided a simple solution to the problem.