Eight mullite bodies of varied compositions and microstructures have been prepared and are being characterized. These compositions will be submersed in molten silicon to study the impurity and surface effects. These various mullite materials will be analyzed for use as substrates for Honeywell Contract No. 954356, silicon on ceramic program and for use as a container of molten silicon. Low cost processing methods are being developed and evaluated for manufacturing large mullite sheets and mullite containers. At present, a state-of-the-art roll compaction process has shown promising initial results for substrates. However, these 0.5mm x 10cm x 1m are extremely fragile. Slip casting or iso pressing are anticipated for containers.

Experimental results are presented on properties of major practical importance in the utilization of manganese-substituted ferrotitanium alloys as hydrogen storage media. Consideration is given to (1) pressure-composition-temperature characteristics, (2) particle attrition properties, (3) effects of long-term cycling on alloy stability, (4) ease of activation and reactivation, and (5) effects of contaminants on alloy activity. The performance of ternary alloys is compared with that of titanium iron as is the development of an optimum ternary alloy for use with a particular peak shaving operation, i.e., the regenerative H2-Cl system.

An elaboration of the ISABELLE concept as the model for a high energy, high luminosity proton-proton facility is given. Its place in the total high energy physics program is discussed. Certain features of the ISABELLE design which have not been consolidated, in particular injection and modes of beam operation, are considered. A new scheme is reviewed, one which could provide quick beam turn-on after construction, one in which there is a high probability of reaching and perhaps even exceeding the design objectives, one which should provide comparatively more flexible and reliable operation for physics, and finally one whose presence opens up a window to a much higher energy region. The new system involves the use of a physically separate current accumulator, allowing, therefore, the optimal utilization of the superconducting structures. The fact that an obvious addition to the complex will permit pp collisions in the 4 TeV center-of-mass energy region, which corresponds to an equivalent lab energy of approximately 10/sup 16/ eV, i.e., cosmic ray energies, prompts the added structure to be referred to as the COSMICTRON. The facility operated in the ''new'' manner proposed is considered to be ''the best ISABELLE that can be built.''