This document summarizes the amounts of radioactive contamination discharged to ground from separations facilities through December 1961. Detailed data for individual disposal sites are presented on a month-to-month basis for the period of July through December 1961. Previous publications of this series are listed in the bibliography and may be referred to for specific information on measurements and radioactivity totals prior to December 1961.

>The optical radiation that occurs in a dynamic plasma pinch experiment depends in part on the amount and type of impurity atoms present in the system. By proper choice of these impurities, it should be possible to tailor the optical radiation from the pinch in intensity, spectrum, and duration such that the kinetic energy of motion (1OO to 1OOO joules) appears as radiation enengy in less than 10/sup -6/ sec. This should provide a good method of optical pumping for pulse optical maser operation. The optical radiation from the dynamic pinch is discussed and an experiment that is being set up to use this radiation as the pump source for an optical maser is described. (auth)

The Fuel Cycle Development Program is a basic development program for boiling and other water technology. It covers the areas of oxide fuel fabrication. irradiation. and examination; the physics of water-moderated reactore; and boiling-water heat transfer and stability. Schedules for the fuel- cycle program were examined. and it was concluded that portions of the Task A program should be conducted during the period May to Dec. 1959 in order to keep costs of the work as low as possible and to allow initiation of the fuel-cycle program at the earliest possible date after the Vallecitos BWR was returned to service. The basis for the scheduling of the work is discussed. and a chronological summary describing the content of the work is given. Technical progress is outlined and details are summarized. Subsequent reports issued monthly and quarterly will summarize the progress of the prognam. (W.D.M.)

A discussion is given of a fabrication process for preparing spherical particles of thorium oxides containing 10 wt.% uranium homogenously distributed throughout the thoria matrix from a sol prepared from Th(NO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ reaction with NH/sub 4/OH, in which uranyl nitrate is dissolved. The particles formed are 5 to 50 microns in diameter. The process is felt to be adaptable to large-scale production. (B.O.G.)

Twenty-three papers are included which were presented at the Conference on Organic Scintillation Detectors. The topics treated range from measurements of organic phosphor properties to liquid and plastic scintillation detectors. Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the papers. (D.L.C.)

The distortion behavior of graphite as a function of irradiation temperature is reviewed. The behavior of needlecoke and CSF graphite was examined over moderate exposures in the GETR. Results showed needle-coke to be less contracting than CSF. Details of contraction show a minimum contraction rate per 10/sup 21/ nvt at 600 to 800 deg C for both types. Limitations to be placed on the data presented are listed. (P. C.H.)

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Work was begun to determine the physical properties of mica-filled diallyl phthalate. Both the impact and tensile strength values compared favorably wlth asbestos-filled DAP formulatlons. The tensile values compared with the upper limit tensile strength values for asbestos-filled formulations. Adiprene-ferric acetyl acetonate-polyol systems were developed as adhesives and their properties studied. Sources of kilogram quantities of Th/sup 2//sup 3//sup 0/ were investigated. The samples were analyzed by a direct CeF/sub 3/ precipitation procedurc or by a tributyl phosphate-cerium procedure. The half- life of Ra/sup 2//sup 2//sup 3/ was found to be 11.3700 plus or minus 0.0065 days. Differential thermal analyses were made of lanthanum and praseodymium metals. Three preilminary determinations of the density of molten cerium were made by the vacuum pycnometer method. An average value of 6.58 was obtained. Leaching tests in water and in 0.1N HCl were continued on fibers of an experimental glass containing 10 wt.%n plutonium oxide. (M.C.G.)

The Hallam Power Reactor is described relative to site, buildings, reactor and associated heat-transfer system, instrumentation and control, auxiliary systems, and fuel and component handling facilities. The potential hazards of radioactivity and safeguards for confinement are discussed. Radiation levels and accidental effluent release are considered. Transients with and without protective system action are discussed. (B.O.G.)

The effect of the many parameters which may influence the failure behavior of coextruded fuel material are being evaluated by Reactor & Fuels Research & Development Operation. This knowledge will be helpful in the design, fabrication, and operation of fuel elements so that the hazards and time involved at failure may be minimized. Many of the various tests performed on unirradiated coextruded fuel material have been in isothermal systems. The tests reported here were performed on power generating coextruded fuel rods. One of the purposes of these tests was to assess the effect of simulated in-reactor power generation and associated thermal gradients and thermal stresses on the defect-test behavior. Another purpose of these tests was to determine the degree of damage that might result to fuel components as a result of interaction (e.g., touching produced by warping or distortion of a failing rod) while at operating powers.

Experimental work on the preparation and measurement of BaThO/sub 3/ shows that the compound exists and is the most stable compound in the Ba-Th-O system. It is cubic at ordinary temperature, with the perovskite structure, and has a crystal density of 4.59 g/cc. The compound may be prepared from a coprecipitated mixture of the barium and thorium oxalates at 750 deg C, and the reaction is driven to completion below 1000 deg C in the presence of an excess of barium. BaThO/sub 3/ appears to hydrolyze readily in the presence of moisture and/or CO/sub 2/. It does not, therefore, appear to have the chemical stability required in a protective coating, and it is inadvisable to measure other coating parameters at this time. It may, however, serve as a superior thermionic emitter. (auth)

Generator 2A the design of which was completed last quarter, was fabricated and electrically tested. The generator met all significant design requirements with the exception of the collector work function. During the preparations for environmental tests one of the leadthroughs falled. Metallographic examination revealed that it is necessary to make some design revisions of the leadthrough. Generator 2A was an experimental unit which led to the design of generator 2B. Specifically, the conclusions obtained from 2A confirmed certain processing methods applicable to future units. The latter unit includes provisions for remote control fueling, and its operation should attain anticipated performance characteristics (P/sub o/, w, T/sub e/, T/sub c/ and life). Critical areas of design, construction, and processing of 2B include the facillty for remote control fueling, the attainment of close interelectrode spacing and low collector work function, and the achievement of a rugged genenator. Accordingly, a vigorous theoretical and experimental approach was undertaken. A life test on generator lA was initiated and over 2100 hr of operating time was accumulated. The emitter was not aged prior to incorporation into the generator; as a result, the evaporation of barium from the emitter eventually reduced the diode internal resistance to the point …

The Reactor Nuclear Data Tape Programs were designed to compile and/or modify a nuclear data library tape from basic nuclear cross-section input. It is intended that this cross-section library tape will be utilized to provide up-to- date nuclear data for various reactor codes. Program RNDP was designed to compile an initial tape from certain minimal input data, or to add or delete complete blocks of data from an existing tape. Program RNDM was designed to compile and add to an existing tape macroscopic cross section data consisting of mixtures of microscopic cross sections available on the tape. Program RNOC was designed to modify and copy an existing tape, or to compile a new tape from sets of binary cards punched by Program RNDP. These programs were written using the FORTrAN-II system of automatic coding for the IBM7090. (auth)

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The absolute differential cross sections for elastic scattering of 31- Mev He/sup 3/ ions on Be, Al, Cu, Sn/sup (nat)/, Sn/sup 120/ and Bi were measured in the angular range of approximately 10 to 120 deg in the center-of-mass system. Thin selfsupporting foil targets were chosen to span the parameter A/sup 1/3/, where A is the target mass number. The first excited states of the isotopes of these elements had sufficient energy separation from the ground state to enable elastic scattering to be resolved from inelastic scattering. The detection system, consisting of CsI(Tl) scintillation crystals, was capable of 3% pulse- height resolution and 1 degree angular resolution. Characteristically, the light- element angular distributions show strong diffraction effects. The differential cross section divided by the Rutherford cross section decreases exponentially at large angles for the heavy elements, and the differential cross sections break away from Rutherford behavior at angles which increase almost linearly with increase of atomic number of the target nucleus. A comparison of the results for natural Sn, and Sn enriched to 85% in Sn/sup 120/, indicated that within the experimental uncertainties over the measured angular interval, there were no pronounced isotopic effects. The data are presented both in …

Separate abstracts were prepared on 11 sections of this report. A list is included of staff publications during the period. (C.H.)

Experimental results are summarized for investigations on the condenser fluid mechanics of mercury under zerogravity, two-phase conditions. Conditions required for interfacial stability in tubes were determined as a function of tube diameters. Correlated two-phase pressure drop data are presented as functions of tube inlet Reynolds number and vapor specific volume. Flow regime stability was studied under zero-gravity and 2.55-gravity conditions and at various Reynolds numbers. the effect of noncondensable gas on flow performance in mercury forced convection condensers was evaluated. (D.L.C.)

The objectives of the program are to develop ultrasonic methods of determining ceramic-metal bond strength and uniformity. Promising results were obtained using simple scanning and display systems to detect simulated defects. Two different methods were tried, one using solid specimens with the crystals directly attached and the other using specimens immersed in a liquid couplant with the crystals held in precise parallelism with the specimen surfaces. Equally good results were obtained in either case. Further experiments using surface waves and coatings with lower ultrasonic absorption have indicated that the proposed surface wave technique might be useful for vaper-deposited coatings. The experiments showed that the absorption of ultrasonic energy by ZrO/sub 2/ coating prevents the use of surface wave methods. Two simple systems were used to investigate the correlation between logarithmic decrement and bond condition. (W.L.H.)

Proton-deuteron exchange is rapid in boehmite corrosion product formed on pure aluminum in boiling water. In addition, deuterated boehmite films undergo rapid exchange with the humidity of the atmosphere. This explains the previously reported anomaly in the H-D exchange rate for the growing corrosion product on 1100 aluminum. (auh)

This article describes a test procedure for a liquid high explosive. The liquid to be tested is NTN, a mixture of nitromethane, tetranitomethane, and 1-nitropropane in 52, 33.3, and 14.7 weight per cent. The test is to study the sensitivity of the explosive to shock by firing it in projectiles from a M1A1 155mm howlitzer, with a charge such that it will not exceed 16,500 g`s acceleration.

Progress and results from the conceptual design, economic evaluations, and research and development work performed as part of the Nuclear Superheat Project are reported. Developments in conceptual design and program evaluation, fuel technology, materials development, experimental physics, coolant chemistry, heat transfer, mechanical development, SADE, and mixed spectrum superheat design are discussed. (M.C.G.)

The object of this experiment was to extrude normal uranium hollow billets to I and E `O` size tubing with reduced extruded O.D. and also to evaluate the use of pressed salt follower blocks. Pressed salt (NaCl) follower blocks under various conditions of pre-heat temperature were compared with the standard graphite at 800 F. Even though some yield reduction results, it was concluded that pressed salt follower blocks at 300 F represent a substantial cost reduction due to the extreme price differential of the two perishable items. Extruded O.D.`s of .020 inch and .040 inch less than the standard (nominal) 1.50 inch represent no gain in yield due to the sharp increase in machined slug rejects for O.D. defects.

Results of studies of the known parameters for direct calcination of plutonium nitrate in an agitated bed and conversion of PuO/sub 2/ to PuCl/sub 3/ by fluid bed processes are presented. A description of the processes and the demonstration equipment is included. The study of variables is discussed along with the parameters and plans for demonstration runs. (J.R.D.)

A literature survey and experimental results from investigations of aluminum corrosion under both static and dynamic test conditions are presented. Static corrosion tests were made on 8001, 8001 + 2.5% Mg and X2219 clad with M400 aluminum alloys. Dynamic corrosion tests were made only on the 8001 alloy. These tests were performed in three identical dynamic corrosion test loops. Initial tests in each loop were made to investigate corrosion behavior in high purity water at high temperatures and high flow velocities. Reproducibility tests were also carried out. An evaluation was made of aluminum-surface-area-to- watervolume-ratio effects on corrosion resistance. Prefilmed sample tests in which test specimens were prefilmed at two different temperatures in a static autoclave prior to the dynamic tests were also made. Results indicated that the corrosion rates of the 8001 aluminum alloy were too high for an economical design of the reactor core. A considerable amount of uncertainty was found to exist in the corrosion literature, as well as in the experimental data, regarding effects of various test parameters on corrosion behavior of this alloy. Time limitations for application to the Pathfinder reactor prohibited further investigation of this material. Consequently, a recommendation of the 8001 aluminum alloy as …