The basic scheme for processing power reactor fuels at Hanford includes the removal of inert endfittings ("hardware") from the active sections of the fuels. Within Hanford Laboratories, research and development studies have been in progress on various types of saws which might be used for hardware cutoff. In the initial phase of the program, high-speed saws were investigated; more recently, studies on low speed saws have been conducted. This report summarizes the high speed saw studies and includes information on abrasive wheels, diamond wheels and metal "friction" blades which cut by actually melting metal ahead of the saw blade. At the completion of the low speed saw testing program currently in progress, basic saw types will be compared and the saw type to be included in the reprocessing complex will be selected.

The first series tests in the KER-REP-1 loop proved that a fisssion product contaminated loop could be decontaminated to a safe level for contact maintenance. The second series of tests ere scheduled for a more thorough evaluation of these processes includes specific decontamination factors, process corrosion rates, loop activity reduction factors (loop decontamination factors), and any preferential decontamination which may be present.

Considerable interest has developed in the use of ion-exchange in the nuclear energy field in the last decade. Aside from the obvious use of providing demineralized coolant water for reactors, the projected uses of ion-exchange include the recovery of fission products from aquaeous waste streams and the separation and purification of fissionable materials from spent reactor fuels. The latter process may be incidental to the over-all operation, as is the case with the Purex anion exchange facility, or it may be the prime separation process, as may be the case in the recovery of Pu or U from spent power reactor (PRTR) fuel elements.

Instrumentation shall be provided as shown on the attached drawing, SK-1-26835 for Confinement System Control. The Primary objective of the confinement system shall be to provide maximum possible confinement of contamination, consistent with building limitations, in the event of any contamination, consistent with building limitations, in the event of any credible reactor accident resulting from equipment failure or reactor mis operation.

This specification is specifically designed for the procurement of Zircaloy tubing to be used in the of swaged, UO fuel elements, an, and the Pu fuel elements for the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor. Requisition G-385923 contains the following information pertinent to this specification: 1. Dimensions and dimensional tolerance. 2. Source of zirconium sponge and conditions for us of Zircaloy scrap. 3. Inspection requirements. 4. Shipping instructions.

When following the performance of automatic and semi-automatic equipment that is left unattended for extended periods of time, it is often desirable to be able to check this equipment by remote means. A convenient vehicle for such a check is the telephone since nearly all locations have or can have a telephone extension installed. The check of the equipment may be made as simple or extensive as desired, with the outcome of the check represented by a relay condition, for example. The condition of the relay is then transmitted to the interrogator over the telephone line by means of the presence or absence of a tone.

Zircaloy-2 has a strong tendency to absorb oxygen and nitrogen at elevated temperatures. These gas impurities are extremely harmful, causing brittleness and loss of corrosion resistance. The production of ductile corrosion-resistant welds by present methods required shielding of the weld metal by an inert gas atmosphere or by a vacuum. The alternative to an inert gas atmosphere or a vacuum is reduction of the welding time to a few milliseconds of time to prevent gas absorption.

The majority of two-phase flow problems involving equations of state are solved by use of point-wise utilization steam table values. In this manner, problems involving the use of the various flow equations of continuity, momentum and energy are generally forced into iterative solutions. Considerable effort towards the development of an analytical expression for the state equation seems indicated so as to simplify the analysis of two-phase problems, particularly apparent in the analysis of systems undergoing phase transformation as demonstrated by the significant difference between simple theory and experimental critical flow determinations. The assumption of homogeneous, equilibrium mixture is indicated as a first attack upon the problem.

On July 31, 1959, an autoclave ruptured while being used for thermal cycling studies of Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR) plutonium-aluminum fuel elements. Since stand-in materials were being used in this test, no contamination was involved. This accident could lead to inference of greater hazards associated with PRTR fuel designs than had previously been postulated. An ad hoc technical investigation committee was appointed by the Manager Reactor and Fuels Research and Development, to study the autoclave failure. The committee was charged with developing a sound technical explanation of the accident and/or recommending experimental programs to test hypotheses of the physical and chemical processes leading to the rupture of the autoclave.

The utilization of gloves wherein heavy element additives have been included is a significant means of reducing exposure to hands and, consequently, increasing allowable working time in operations which require direct contact with low energy isotopes - such as plutonium. The number of such gloves available has been limited considerably by the feasibility of fabrication and the practicality of application. The following study was made on two basic gloves - the first, a heavy zinc-neoprene coated glove and the second, a lead loaded neoprene glove available in two thicknesses. Included in the study was a standard 30 gauge neoprene glove.

The first series of tests in the KER-REP-1 loop proved that a fission product contaminated loop could be decontaminated to a safe level for contact maintenance. Since a good decontamination process was available, there was much that could be improved about this process. Further testing of this process and several variations of other processes have been scheduled. The evaluation of these processes includes specific decontamination factors, process corrosion, and loop activity reduction factors (loop decontamination factors).