Abstract. The effect of various inhibitors on the production of CrIII in W waters containing chromatic has been studies at a variety of pH's in the CP-3 pile. The addition of 2 ppm NaClO3 appears to have little effect a a pH of 5.3, but 2 ppm NaClO3 cr 0.15 ppm of Cl2 (in the form of NaOCl) somewhat decreases the amount of chromatic reduced at a pH of 7.1. The inhibition is not great enough, however, to reduce the amount of CrIII formed to the maximum concentration permissible at W (0.02 ppm). The addition of 3 ppm (NH4)2S2O3 as an inhibiter will permit W water to be used a a Ph of 7.0, but not at a pH of 6.5 as far as chromate reduction is concerned. The concentration of CrIII would be 0.01 ppm and 0.05 ppm, respectively, after one passage through the pile. Previous conclusion as to the effects of temperature, pH, intensity and the addition of ammonium persulfate, which had been reached from experiments with simulation W water, have been checked by studies with solutions made from water chipped directly from Hanford. All of the effects noted were found to be similar to those already reported, …

Abstract. Wigner effects on aluminum, beryllium, and tuballoy have been studied by the electrical resistance method. Samples were exposed during an interval which would have produced an increase of approximately 22% in resistance of AGOT-K graphite. The resistance of tuballoy increased approximately 1%. It is shown that the increase can be accounted for by the amount of fission product impurity formed during the exposure. Neither aluminum nor beryllium showed any change. In the case of Be, the Wigner effect may be obscured, to some extent, by the approximately .2 - .3 atom % of impurity present in the samples. Based on the increase occurring in ADOT-K graphite, a change of approximately .2 - .5 x10-6 ohm-om might be expected in the case of Be. The accuracy of the method was sufficiently great to detect a change of this magnitude. Other experiments with Be will be undertaken when purer samples are available. Meanwhile, some samples of the present type ae being subjected to further irradiation.

Technical report with short articles on (1) Uranium-oxygen system compositions UO2 to U3O3; (2) Thorium hydride; (3) Production of cerium; and (4) Production of thorium.

Technical report with short reports on (1) Effect of radiation on organic compounds; (2) Effect of radiation on separation processes; (3) Effect of radiation on water and aqueous systems; and (4) Effect of neutrons on graphite.

Abstract. The separation of uranyl nitrate from aqueous solutions of 0.635 M thorium nitrate, 3 M nitric acid and 3 M calcium nitrate by extraction with organic solvents has been investigated. Solvents which gave good separations were 2-tthyl hexyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, n-butyl either and beta-beta- dichloroethyl ether. In general, higher esters, ethers and alcohols are better for separating uranium from thorium that the lower homologues. Several solvents were tested at lower nitric acid concentrations. Dibutyl cellosolve gave a very good separation when the solution was 0.1 M nitric acid. Of the solvent mixtures studied that of equal parts of n-butyl ether and dibutyl cellosolve gave a good separation.

Technical report describing that the use of controlled amounts of carbonate, acting both as complexing agent buffer led to a fairly satisfactory procedure for the determination of Th in Th-U alloys, using cupferron. The alloy, dissolved in NHO2, in the presence of HF, is treated with H2SO4 and the mixture is evaporated in SO2 fumes. The solution is diluted and (NH4)2CO2 is added. Th is precipitated from this solution with cupferron. The precipitate is weighed as ThO2 after ignition. An accuracy of 6% was obtained. A method was developed specifically for the determination of Th in U-Th alloys containing 1 to 10% Th. An ion exchange resin in column is used to separate Th from U, with NH2OH-HCl as complexing agent. The Th is then precipitated, ignited, and weighed in the conventional manner.

Abstract. The physico-chemical methods of determining nitric acid and thorium nitrate in solutions containing these two materials were investigated. Conductimetric titration with sodium hydroxide can be used to determine nitric acid accurately. the titration of thorium nitrate requires a separate standardization of the base however, since a basic salt is precipitated rather the normal hydroxide. The titration of thorium is reproductible however, so and empirical standardization can be used. The measurement of the specific gravity and refractivity of the solutions provides a method of determining the concentrations in terms of these two variable. Equations for the concentrations in terms of specific gravity and refractively are given, both in pure solutions and in those saturated with methyl isobutyl ketone.