In mechanical tests of tantalum-tungsten alloys with nominal tungsten contents between 0 and 10 wt % for strain rates between 0.000016 and 6800s{sup {minus}1} and temperatures between 77 and 400 K, the addition of tungsten noticeably reduces the strain-rate dependence of the flow stress of tantalum near yield. It also subtly alters the strain-rate behavior of the work hardening, making it more like that of copper, an fcc metal. These effects are reflected in the limiting strains for uniform plastic deformation calculated from our flow curves. For unalloyed tantalum, the instability strain appears to drop dramatically for strain rates in excess of approximately 0.005s{sup {minus}1}, whereas for tungsten bearing alloys, it remains unchanged or increases slightly. Tungsten alloys may therefore be preferable to unalloyed tantalum in applications that demand substantial ductility at high rates of strain. We briefly discuss possible mechanisms for plastic flow in tantalum and how they might be affected by tungsten additions to produce the effects we observe.

The presence of high concentrations of uranium in the subsurface can be attributed either to contamination from uranium processing activities or to naturally occurring uranium. A mathematical method has been employed to evaluate the isotope ratios from subsurface soils at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant (RFP) and demonstrates conclusively that the soil contains uranium from a natural source and has not been contaminated with enriched uranium resulting from RFP releases. This paper describes the method used in this determination which has widespread application in site characterizations and can be adapted to other radioisotopes used in manufacturing industries. The determination of radioisotope source can lead to a reduction of the remediation effort.