This quarterly progress report discusses the ongoing work within the Solid State Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the period ending August 10, 1952. Projects discussed include radiation metallurgy, engineering properties, fused salts, crystal physics, and solid state reactions.

The following report describes the investigations of the microwave solution and the Astron solution, to produce high current electron beams.

From introduction: The principal work described below is the development and tests of a slow neutron flux generator based on a generator developed at the University of California (UCRL 8359, W. Patterson, Roger Wallace, "A Method of Calibrating Slow Neutron Detectors"). It is shown that a tolerance flux density of slow neutrons results within a cubical cavity 15 inches on an edge with 4-inch-thick walls of water or paraffin wax when a plutonium-beryllium source emitting about 7 million neutrons per second is placed within the cavity according to a standard procedure. The principle on which the generator is based is that the fast neutrons from the source are slowed to near thermal velocities by scattering from the cavity walls. (Although the principal interest is in the slow flux, a primary fast flux is present at any point depending on the inverse square of the distance from the source.) The variation of slow neutron flux density over the walls of the cavity is unimportant for the calibration of thermal neutron detectors which follow a 1/v or 1/E response law (where v and E are the neutron velocity and energy), so that the detector is sensitive mainly to the slow neutron flux. …

Abstact: "Wind tunnel tests were performed to determine pressure distributions and normal force coefficients on three block forms on mounting planes. The dimension ratios of the blocks were 1:1:1, 1:1:2, and 1:1:4. Results are given for variation in Mach number from 0.066 to 0.8, in Reynolds number from 0.28 x 10(exp 6) to 4 x 10(exp 6), and in yaw angle from 0 to 90 degrees. Results show a Reynolds number independence over the range examined. Windward face force coefficients for a given block form are approximately proportional to the ratio of impact to dynamic pressure. Pressure distribution and resultant coefficients are affected by mounting planes."

From introduction: The results presented in this preliminary report are principally concerned with the ground motion caused by seven underground nuclear explosions (table 1) in the bedded tuff of the Oak Spring formation in Area 12. Ground motions were recorded at stations as close as 5 kilometers and as far as 300 kilometers from the explosions (fig 1 and table 2). The results for the Bianca and especially the Evans explosion are meager because the first was accompanied by a Test Site-wide moznentary power failure and because the yield of the second was so far below the anticipated yield that uncertain results were obtained. Ground motions caused by most of the air explosions in Operations Plumbbob and Hadtack - Phase 2 were recorded and have been partly analyzed. Results are presented in this report only where they relate significantly to analysis of the underground explosions. The effects of most of the small underground explosions in Area 3 (center of Yucca Flat) that had significant yields were also recorded. The results have not yet been interpreted.

Report discussing the geology and pegmatites of the Fourmile Quadrangle, located on the southwest side of the Black Hills uplift in Custer County, South Dakota. "This report is an abstract of a paper with the same title that is planned for publication as a Geological Survey professional paper."

From scope of report: "This report summarizes an interpretation of the geology of Yucca Valley to depths of about 2,300 feet below the surface, the characteristic features of ground water in Yucca and Frenchman Valleys, and the seismic, gravity, and magnetic data for these valleys."

The following report presents neutron-flux measurements made with a concentric-cylinder element (Mark II) and includes axial, radial, and peripheral flux distributions.

Technical report outlining experiments on aluminum-lithium alloys. From Abstract: "Aluminum-lithium alloys are subject to precipitation from solid solution, and may be age hardened by the same techniques used for more common aluminum alloys. Spherical particles of precipitate were observed with the electron microscope in 1.5% and 2.8% Al-Li alloys after aging for times comparable to those required to produce maximum hardness. Rod-shaped particles that were oriented parallel to either the (110) or the (111) planes of the aluminum matrix were observed in overaged specimens."

This report is a comparative cost study of radioactive waste disposal for the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (UCRL). In particular, it compares the costs of sea disposal in depths of 1000 fathoms and of 2000 fathoms off the California coast with land burial of the wastes at the Hanford Atomic Products Operation (HAPO), Richland, Washington, at the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), Idaho Falls, Idaho, or at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nevada. In the comparison, the cost of utilizing a commercial waste-disposal firm is also shown as well as a tentative cost of using the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS).

Report regarding the successful development of a freezing sea water to produce fresh water. Contains the experimental methods used as well as an economic analysis.

Report describing a the design requirements of a proposed nuclear power plant for use on an ice cap.

Report issued by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory discussing the 4th revision to the operating procedures used with the bulk shielding reactor. Standard procedures, emergency procedures, and authorized personnel for the bulk shielding reactor are presented. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

Report regarding a waste calcination unit that "will convert the fission product-containing aluminum nitrate solutions" "to granular alumina and fission product oxides" (p. 5).

An inventory of the contaminated materials accumulated since the initiation of this project in June 1958, revealed a larger variety and quantity of materials that could be burned, than was specified for the initial scope. Therefore, it is desirable to revise the scope to permit handling the majority of these materials with the initially installed equipment.

The chemical processing industry relies heavily on the use of rotary pumps to move massive quantities of liquids. The rotating elements of these pumps, generally of the deep-well turbine type, are submerged in the solution being pumped. This singular factor sometimes imposes a severe limitation on the choice bearings because the liquids are frequently corrosive and have poor lubricity. At the Hanford Atomic Products Operation a further complication arises from the effects of radioactivity in the solutions being transferred. Radiation and temperature can and will cause physical damage to many substances, including certain potential bearing materials such as plastics. These factors, coupled with the economics of remote operation and maintenance, have lead to the need for a test program to screen and evaluate potential bearing and journal materials.

The moderator fluid will be injected into the PRTR calandrin through injectors located between the shroud tubes and at the bottom of the calandrin. It is important that the size and arrangement of the injectors be such that complete mixing of the moderator will occur and prevent hot sports from forming in the moderator. Such hot spots could lead to undesired changes in the moderating characteristics due to boiling within the moderator. Also of importance is the requirement that the injector should not produce excessive turbulence at the moderator surface thereby complicating moderator level control. To determine the extent of moderator mixing within the calandrin, experimental studies were made employing a full scale PRTR calandrin mockup.

A knowledge of the surface tension of metals is a valuable tool in many aspects of physical metallurgy. Surface tension is a prime factor in such phenomena as swelling, nucleation and growth, and corrosion by liquid metals, and is also of importance in brazing. casting, and sintering. This survey was initiated to facilitate the selection of an experimental technique for determining the surface tension of uranium in support of current swelling studies of irradiated uranium. It is believed that swelling in uranium in support of current swelling; studies of small bubbles of fission gases (krypton and xenon), and the forces resisting the expansion of these bubbles are the elastic and plastic flow energies and surface tension of the metal. Experimental techniques for the determination of surface tension of solids are still in the development stage, but three techniques appear to be most feasible. These methods are: (1) the mechanical method, in which a tensile lead is used to counterbalance the contractile force of surface tension; (2) the thermal etching method, involving measurement of the dihedral angle at the root of etched grain boundaries; and (3) the electron diffraction method, which analyzes surface tension by the amount of lattice distortion it …

Two Zircaloy-clad capsules (GKH-14-19,20) containing two compacts each of high density PuO2-UO2 mixed crystal oxides were shipped to the MTR in December 2, 1958. The compacts contain 0.026 a/o PuO2, have densities of 91 percent of the theoretical value, and will generate the same specific power as an Al-1.8w/o Pu alloy rod of the same diameter would produce. Two capsules (GKH-14-21,22) have been prepared and contain three compacts each of low density, about 65 percent of the theoretical value, PuO2-UO2 mixed crystal oxides. It is tentatively planned to ship the last two capsules during January 1959.

The solids in Purex lww were first observed during flowsheet tests for recovery of fission products from plant wastes. Since the nature of this solid was not apparent from the flowsheet composition of lww, some work was performed to characterize this material. Although this work has been conducted over a period of about one year, it has been subordinate to the main one of testing flowsheets for fission product recovery. The solids have been observed in each of about six samples of plant lww that have been studied, and the centrifuged volume of solids has been about four percent in each case.

The discharge of cooling water from the Hanford reactors introduce radioactive contaminants to the Columbia River. These materials may subsequently bring about exposure to human populations either through the direct use of the water for sanitary purposes or transfers of the radioisotopes into the food chains. It is therefore desirable to keep to a minimum the amounts of radioisotopes released to the river.

"This report summarizes an interpretation of the geology of Yucca Valley to depths of about 2,300 feet below the surface, the characteristic features of groundwater in Yucca and Frenchman Valleys."

Plutonium metal can be injected into cold metal molds to form castings with thin walls. The operation is performed in a vacuum chamber, using an inert gas as the injecting medium. Sound pieces free of gas cavities can be made using either pure or delta-stabilized plutonium. This report describes the equipment and techniques used to cast a typical thin section piece in the form of a 6 in. diameter, 45' cone.

A program for determining the behavior of concrete shear keys under dynamic loading similar to that encountered in nuclear blasts was coupled with a study of the comparative behavior of shear keys under static loading. The testing procedure gave deflection recording for the shear keys, their strength in pure shear, under transverse compression and when dowelled, stresses and strains in the embedded dowels, and the mode of failure of each specimen. From an analysis of the data obtained and a study of the combined direct and transverse stresses involved, important qualitative conclusions were drawn from the common trends in the behavior of keys. The tests proved that plain concrete keys can withstand stresses in pure shear as high as 2000 p.s.i. or more, that imposing transverse compression on them raises the ratio of their shear strength to compressive strength by about 50% in dynamic loading though by only about 5% in static loading, and that the keys exhibit much higher shear strength when subjected to dynamic loads than when stressed by static loads. The test also indicated that the strength and quality of the gravel are probably major factors governing the strength of the keys.