A nonnuclear explosion involving an evaporator occurred in a shielded cell in the Radiochemical Processing Pilot plant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Plutonium released from the processing cell contaminated areas in the pilot plant building and nearby streets and building surfaces. The explosion is considered the result of rapid reaction of nitrated organic compounds formed by the inadvertent nitration of about 14 liters of a proprietary decontaminating reagent.

This report summarizes progress on investigation into improving the technological limits of boiling water reactors, Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor and other facilities.

Writing the VARI-II Program was motivated by the need for a method of analyzing the results for the Absorber Burn-Up Experiment in progress at the Vallecitos Atomic Laboratory.

A research and development program aimed at devising processes for the economical recovery of the potentially valuable long-lived fission products from Purex waste has been under wat at Hanford for several years. When this work has begun, the concentrated waste was primarily a nitric acid solution (6 to 10 M HNO3) containing the fission products and relatively small concentrations of iron, sulfate, and other corrosion products. Flowsheets based on classical separation schemes and rather similar to processes used by the Isotopes Division at the AEC's Oak Ridge operation served to separate the desired fission products from one another and from the corrosion products (1,2,3).These separation schemes employed careful step-wise pH adjustment to precipitate first the iron and then to separate the desired fission products from one another. The flowsheets were demonstrated on a pilot-plant scale with full-level plant waste. However, since the earlier work was complete, plant operations have been modified....

This paper reports an extension of previous experimental work with Alfven waves. We consider hydromagnetic waves propagating in a cylindrical plasma in a uniform axial magnetic field. The copper tube is filled with highly ionized plasma by an electrically driven switch-on ionizing wave. After the tube is filled with plasma, a hydromagnetic wave is induced by a radial current flow from the small molybdenum electrode to the copper tube. The force produced by this radial current together with the static axial magnetic field displaces the plasma in the azimuthal direction, and a transverse wave is propagated in the axial direction, along magnetic field lines. The transient magnetic field associated with the wave is also in the azimuthal direction.

Maps of three segments in the Camden-Delaware Valley area surveyed as part of a radiological survey, outlining "Radioactivity levels in hundreds of counts per second normalized to 500 ft above ground." Scale 1:250,000.

This program was established to develop new information concerning the mechanism of diffusion of fission gases (krypton and xenon) through UO2 and UC. The work was to concentrated on measurements of diffusion rates in unirradiated materials in the temperature range of 1000°C to above 2000°C, these determinations being important to the projected use of refractory fuel materials in high-temperature, high-burnup reactors.

To determine the temperature coefficient of reactivity when the station is operating at power.

Irradiation of the initial test in this program involving ten tubes of alternately charged nickel-plated C-64 alloy clad test elements and X-8001 alloy control elements has been successfully completed. The test indicated that the nickel-plate spalling problem has been resolved as no significant spalling or flaking was observed during the post-irradiation examination. The second test in this program will be to verify the performance of nickel-plate with a pilot loading (up to 100 charges) of fuel elements which have been nickel-plated on a production basis. The objectives of this test are to demonstrate with a larger scale test that nickel-plate performs satisfactorily and that reducing the nominal plate thickness from .6 mil to .2 mil will not affect the performance of the nickel-plate fuel element. This test authorizes the irradiation of up to 100 columns of OIIN, chemically nickel-plated, C-64 alloy jacketed fuel elements to 200% of normal goal exposure to extend the evaluation of nickel-plated fuel elements on a pilot scale at DR Reactor. Seventy columns will be plated to a nominal thickness of .6 mil and thirty columns to a nominal .2 mil thickness. Twenty measured columns, ten representing each plate thickness, will be charged to monitor the …

An analytical program was carried out to obtain an accurate single point measurement of neptunium-37 content versus exposure for E-metal. Two large volume dissolver solution samples representing E-metal from the KW, KE, C, and DR reactors were obtained from the Redox Plant for the basis of analysis. The neptunium-237/U ratio was determined by direct analysis, and the exposure was estimated from the measured Pu/U ratio and the uranium-235 burn-out.

None

The raw water export system forms the last ditch water supply system to the ``O`` and ``C`` type reactors; in the event of electrical and steam power failure, the export system is designed to supply enough raw water coolant. After the original export orifice was modified twice, the export system was retested.

A block-loading of striped columns and tubes simulating a blanket loading were analyzed for product (Pu, tritium, E-metal) after irradiation in IP-255-A-9-FP. Results are rationalized to full-pile values; pile conversion ratios and pile gains are given.

Tests in which aluminum-jacketed, Al-Si bonded uranium fuel elements were baked at various temperatures have shown there is a time-temperature relationship for Al-Si layer decomposition. For heat transfer and secondary coolant barrier considerations, the extent of bonding layer deterioration during fuel element irradiation is important. Currently, Al-Si bonded fuel elements show evidence of spire bond separation, and to a lesser degree, can-bond separation following irradiation. Such evidence has aroused concern for the ability of the currently produced Al-Si bonded fuel elements to withstand future reactor operating conditions. Several potential uranium fabrication and canning process improvements are being developed to further advance fuel element stability and performance. Optimization of process conditions based on these improvements may provide the necessary margin of safety for good bond layer integrity, but before a decision can be made to continue improvement of the present process or convert to a new canning process, more information on the stability of the present fuel element bond is needed. This report presents the irradiation phase of a test which was designed to more fully evaluate Al-Si bond integrity under anticipated future reactor conditions.

The oxidation rate of the moderator in D-Reactor has been monitored from samples placed along the length of process tube channel 3478. During the interval from August 8, 1960, to August 10, 1961 were very high, up to 40%/KOD (1000 operating days). From the shape of the front-to-rear burnout profile, the oxidant appears to be oxygen and/or water.

105-KE downcomer pressure data are tabulated.

The objective of this supplement is to authorize charging of ten tubes of ``bumper`` fuel elements and controls into each K Reactor. The test is designed to reevaluate the reduction in hot-spot incidence associated with fuel alignment within K Reactor ribbed process tubes for both natural and enriched uranium I&E fuel elements of the KIV geometry.

The purpose of this review is to report the operability status of the reactor control instrumentation. The status of the instruments was determined twice during the first six months of this year, April 1 and June 1. The information contained in this report is not intended to be a complete description of the control instruments, but only as they apply to reactor control. The assigned Pile Physicist at each reactor reported the status of instrumentation at his reactor. Chart I summarizes the operability status of the various instruments. Chart II shows the relative range of reactor power over which these control instruments apply. Appendix II contains a functional description of the instruments and Appendix III lists how each instrument is used during reactor operation.

The objective of this irradiation is to determine the differences in irradiation behavior; typified by dimensional changes, surface roughness, and overall distortion; resulting from elements of similar fabrication history but different beta heat treating schedule. The fuel will be the inner tube only of an NPR fuel assembly. Both elements were heated in chloride salt at 730C; one was rapidly quenched and the other air cooled to obtain a wide variation in grain size and structure and residual stress.

It is necessary to provide accountability tables and equations for use in routine product buildup predictions for the duration of the E-N and blanket loads charged under PT-IP-350-C. Recommended values are given.

The purpose of this report is to present experimental data concerning the heat transfer and fluid flow conditions within a C-overbore geometry process channel for the cases of steady state operation, flow plugging incidents, and inlet piping failure incidents.

Discussion is given on the welding fabrication of tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and tantalum. Properties which make the four refractory metals important are tabulatcd along with titanium which is given for comparison. Extensive evaluation was conducted using the gas, tungsten arc welding process employing both manual and machine welding. Design data were obtained exclusively from machine welded sheet materials. Flash welding, resistance spot welding and brazing, electron beam welding, and high frequency resistance welding processes were also applied to molybdenum alloys. The oxidation of molybdenum, tantalum, and niobium in flowing air at 2000 deg F is also given. (P.C.H.)

The temperature, geometry, and flow conditions which exist in the EGCR were duplicated in a mock-up designated as the EGCR Burning Rig to establish the combustion conditions in the reactor. The conditions under which the EGCR Burning Rig will ignite were established and an analytical model was developed which predicts these conditions. Because the Burning Rig cannot exactly dupIicate the reactor situation the final prediction of the safety of the EGCR must rest on computer calculations employing the above analytical model. No advantage in retarding combustion was found in using silicon carbide coated fuel sleeves. The negative results of these tests are due both to the particular geometry of the EGCR moderator and sleeves as well as to the fact that all sleeves tested contained imperfections in the coatings. Chlorine was demonstrated to be an effective agent for extinguishing graphite fires. Concentrations in air of about 1% were observed to extinguish graphite fires at temperatures as high as 1000 deg C. (auth)

The intermediate energy neutron flux existing outside the biological shielding of reactors has not been studied to any great extent previous to this time, because of the lack of an instrument capable of detecting neutrons in the intermediate energy range. The instrument used at the MTR utilizes polyethylene spheres of various sizes to give different amounts of moderation and absorption to the impinging neutrons. A procedure for the approximate determination of the relative number of intermediate energy and fast neutrons is given. By graphical methods the following information is obtained: (1) fraction of intermediate neutrons, (2) fraction of fast neutrons, and (3) the approximate average energy of the fast neutrons. Since the instrument described can be used to determine the thermal neutron flux independent of intermediate and fast fluxes, only one instrument is required to determine the neutron flux in all three energy ranges. Dose calculations indicate the intermediate range neutrons give a dose greater than the dose delivered by fast neutrons around the MTR-ETR reactors under normal operating conditions. (auth)