Simultaneous removal of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} using a regenerable solid sorbent will constitute an important improvement over the use of separate processes for the removal of these two pollutants from stack gases and possibly eliminate several shortcomings of the individual SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} removal operations. The work done at PETC and the DOE-funded investigation of the investigators on the sulfation and regeneration of alumina-supported cerium oxide sorbents have shown that they can perform well at relatively high temperatures (823-900 K) as regenerable desulfurization sorbents. Survey of the recent literature shows that addition of copper oxide to ceria lowers the sulfation temperature of ceria down to 773 K, sulfated ceria-based sorbents can function as selective SCR catalysts even at elevated temperatures, SO{sub 2} can be directly reduced to sulfur by CO on CuO-ceria catalysts, and ceria-based catalysts may have a potential for selective catalytic reduction of NO{sub x} by methane. These observations indicate a possibility of developing a ceria-based sorbent/catalyst which can remove both SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} from flue gases within a relatively wide temperature window, produce significant amounts of elemental sulfur during regeneration, and use methane for the selective catalytic reduction of NO{sub x}. …

None

This quarterly report covers the following topics: (1) Properties of and Manufacturing Methods for NIF Laser Glasses (J. H. Campbell)--The NIF amplifiers require 3380 Nd-doped laser glass slabs; continuous glass melting methods will be used for the first time to manufacture these slabs. The properties of the laser glasses are summarized and the novel continuous melting method is described. (2) Diffractive Optics for the NIF (J. A. Britten)--We have fabricated demonstration diffractive optics according to the NIF baseline design at full scale, via wet-chemical etching of patterns into fused silica. We have examined the effects of dip-coated sol-gel antireflection coatings on the performance of these optics, and have concluded that diffractive optics should remain uncoated to minimize laser-induced damage to downstream optics and to maximize environmental stability. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of combining all diffractive structures required by NIF, which vary over orders of magnitude in lateral and vertical scales, onto a single surface. (3) Producing KDP and DKDP Crystals for the NIF Laser (A. K. Burnham)--Rapid-growth KDP has overcome most of the hurdles for production of boules for NIF switch crystals and doublers, but some improvements in process reliability at the tripler's 3{omega} damage threshold are needed. …

Your Genes, Your Choices provides accurate information about the ethical, legal, and social implications of the Human Genome Project and genetic research in an easy-to-read style and format. Each chapter in the book begins with a brief vignette, which introduces an issue within a human story, and raises a question for the reader to think about as the basic science and information are presented in the rest of the chapter.

None

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: (1) Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; (2) Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; (3) Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites in the complex; (4) Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; (5) Interstate waste and materials shipments; and (6) Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during …

Advanced magnetic resonance (EMR) methods are used to examine properties of coals, chars, and molecular species related to constituents of coal. During this grant period, further progress was made on proton NMR and low-frequency dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to examine the interaction between fluids such as water and the surface of suspended char particles. Effects of char particle size and type on water nuclear spin relaxation, T2, were measured and modeled.

Changes in pollutant profiles observed in contaminated soils have been attributed to biological activity when in actuality abiotic processes caused pollutant removal.1 This sometimes casual implication of biodegradation is not acceptable, but understandable, because factors which cause the disappearance of pollutants are not always easy to identify. Several pollutant removal or transformation pathways are possible with most pollutants found in soil and these processes may or may not operate independently. Careful evaluation of bioremediation necessitates that all transformation and removal pathways are anticipated so that the pathways are either controlled or monitored but in practice this is generally not possible. The diminution in pollutant oxidation might track with several candidate loss mechanisms and when this occurs the real cause becomes problematic to pin point. Many factors disguise or prevent the effectual tracking of bioremediation processes among which are three general types of problems: (1) The estimate that only about 0.1% or less of the microorganisms living in soils are culturable leads to the conclusion that the possibility for unknown organisms participating in a biodegradation pathway is high. How should these imperceptible microorganisms be tracked? (2) The diversity of the microcosm is large, yet several different genera have been shown to …

Changes in pollutant profiles observed in contaminated soils have been attributed to biological activity when in actuality abiotic processes caused pollutant removal.1 This sometimes casual implication of biodegradation is not acceptable, but understandable, because factors which cause the disappearance of pollutants are not always easy to identify. Several pollutant removal or transformation pathways are possible with most pollutants found in soil and these processes may or may not operate independently. Careful evaluation of bioremediation necessitates that all transformation and removal pathways are anticipated so that the pathways are either controlled or monitored but in practice this is generally not possible. The diminution in pollutant oxidation might track with several candidate loss mechanisms and when this occurs the real cause becomes problematic to pin point. Many factors disguise or prevent the effectual tracking of bioremediation processes among which are three general types of problems: (1) The estimate that only about 0.1% or less of the microorganisms living in soils are culturable leads to the conclusion that the possibility for unknown organisms participating in a biodegradation pathway is high. How should these imperceptible microorganisms be tracked? (2) The diversity of the microcosm is large, yet several different genera have been shown to …

Carbon tetrachloride has been used extensively within the DOE nuclear weapons facilities. Rocky Flats was formerly the largest volume consumer of CCl4 in the United States using 5000 gallons in 1977 alone (Ripple, 1992). At the Hanford site, several hundred thousand gallons of CCl4 were discharged between 1955 and 1973 into underground cribs for storage. Levels of CCl4 in groundwater at highly contaminated sites at the Hanford facility have exceeded 8 the drinking water standard of 5 ppb by several orders of magnitude (Illman, 1993). High levels of CCl4 at these facilities represent a potential health hazard for workers conducting cleanup operations and for surrounding communities. The level of CCl4 cleanup required at these sites and associated costs are driven by current human health risk estimates, which assume that CCl4 is a genotoxic carcinogen. The overall purpose of these studies was to improve the scientific basis for assessing the health risk associated with human exposure to CCl4. Specific research objectives of this project were to: (1) compare the rates of CCl4 metabolism by rats, mice and hamsters in vivo and extrapolate those rates to man based on parallel studies on the metabolism of CCl4 by rat, mouse, hamster and human …

None

During the tenure of this grant we focused our efforts on the treatment of (i) the behavior of the negative hydrogen ion, H{sup {minus}}, in a strong laser field (whose intensity extends well into the nonperturbative regime), and (ii) two-electron escape from a helium atom, He, by synchrotrons light. The calculations for H{sup {minus}} were done using perimetric coordinates u, v, and w, which are linear combinations of the three interparticle distances, together with the three Euler angles. The algebra involved in the implementation of the perimetric coordinate system can be quite formidable. However, we formulated [1] a general and tractable decomposition of the two-electron wavefunction which greatly facilitated the algebra. A complex Sturmian-type basis set, in these coordinates, was employed. One of the main advantages of the perimetric coordinates is that the matrices representing the system's Hamiltonian and its interaction with the radiation field are sparse, so that storage requirements and the number of operations are minimized. The correlation between the electrons is fully incorporated. Indeed, perimetric coordinates are ideally suited to situations where the correlation is strong; each of the planes u = 0, v = 0, ancl w = 0 has the special significance that the electrons …

This report describes the work of developing an integrated model used to predict the thermal history, deformation, roll forces, microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of steel strip in a hot-strip mill. This achievement results from a joint research effort that is part of the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AIS) Advanced Process Control Program, a collaboration between the U.S. DOE and fifteen North American Steelmakers.

None

MORE is a consortium of educational, governmental, and industrial partners in cooperation with the state's Tribal colleges. Formed in 1994, the objectives are to develop and promote energy-related research and education in the state of Montana and the Northwestern region. Specifically, they set out to: (1) promote collaboration and cooperation among Montana's Colleges and Universities; (2) maximize use of existing personnel and resources; (3) foster partnerships with industries, state agencies, and tribal nations; and (4) enhance energy research and training. The 1st Implementation Grant consisted of Management and Coordination, Human Outreach, and two Research Clusters Petroleum Reservoir Characterization and Wind Energy. Overall, they consider this program to have been highly successful. That conclusion was mirrored by the DOE site reviewers, and by invitations from Dr. Matesh Varma, the DOE/EPSCoR National Program Director, to present their programs and outcomes as models for other states the National DOE/EPSCoR meetings.

Many of the inorganic and organic contaminants present in sediments at DOE sites can be altered or destroyed by reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions occurring at mineral surfaces. A fundamental understanding of such redox processes provided by molecular-level studies on structurally and compositionally well-defined mineral surfaces will lead to: (i) improved models of contaminant fate and transport in geochemical systems, and (ii) optimized manipulation of these processes for remediation purposes. To contribute to this understanding, we will study, both experimentally and theoretically, redox processes involving three important contaminants - chromate ion, carbon tetrachloride, and trichloroethene TCE, on the following iron and manganese oxides - hematite, magnetite, maghemite, and pyrolusite. These oxides and their hydroxylated analogs commonly occur as coatings on minerals or as interfaces in the subsurface environment. Single-crystal surfaces of these oxides will be synthesized in carefully controlled fashion by molecular beam epitaxy. These surfaces, as well as high surface are powdered samples of these oxides, will be used in spectroscopic and kinetic experiments in both aqueous and gas phases. Our goal is to identify products and to determine the kinetics and mechanisms of surface-catalyzed redox reaction of Cr(VI) and CR(III), and the reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride and …

West Valley Demonstration Project health physicists and environment scientists discovered a series of errors in a subcontractor's spreadsheet being used to reduce data as part of their strontium-90 analytical process.

The objective of this project is to develop the scientific basis for hydrothermal separation of chromium from High Level Waste (HLW) sludges. Our worked is aimed at attaining a fundamental understanding of chromium speciation, oxidation/reduction and dissolution kinetics, reaction mechanisms, and transport properties under hydrothermal conditions in both simple and complex salt solutions that will ultimately lead to an efficient chromium leaching process.

Augmentation of the internal software of a commercial X-ray fluorescence gauge is shown to enable the instrument to extend its continuous on-line real-time measurements of a galvanneal coating's total elemental content to encompass similar measurements of the relative thickness of the coating's three principal metallurgical phases. The mathematical structure of this software augmentation is derived from the theory of neural networks. The performance of the augmented gauge is validated by comparing the gauge implied real-time phase distribution with the phase distribution independently measured off-line on between the gauge and laboratory measurements and to suggest preferred approaches to be followed in future application of the augmented gauge.

The prototype Vertical Denitration Calciner (VDC) is installed in glovebox 188 in the Plutonium Process Support Laboratory (PPSL). Safety analysis contained in WHC-SD-CP-SAR-021 (FSAR) Rev. 0-L and Addendum to WHC-SD-CP-SAR-021, ''Laboratory Prototype Calciner'' establishes the prototype VDC needs to be shut down if a seismic event of greater than 0.07 g occurs. Shut down is to be automatic upon detection of the seismic event. This requires tie-in of various valves and power for the prototype VDC into the existing Seismic Shutdown System for the Ventilation Supply Fans described in FSAR 5.4.1.2.4. The proposed changes covered by this USQ evaluation include: (1) the physical tie-in modifications, including drawings and Engineering Change Notice (ECN), (2) the work package for accomplishing the modifications, (3) the changes to the System Description Documents, (4) the changes to the Safety Equipment List necessitated by the modifications, and (5) the changes to the failure modes and effects analysis. WHC-SDCP-OSR-010, Plutonium Finishing Plant Operational Safety Requirements Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.2.3 has been revised to include the requirement for the existing seismic shutdown system to also shut down the laboratory calciner in the event of detection of a greater than 0.07 g seismic event.

The prototype Vertical Denitration Calciner (VDC) is installed in glovebox 188 in the Plutonium Process Support Laboratory (PPSL). Safety analysis contained in WHC-SD-CP-SAR-021 (FSAR) Rev. 0-L and Addendum to WHC-SD-CP-SAR-021, ''Laboratory Prototype Calciner'' establishes the prototype VDC needs to be shut down if a seismic event of greater than 0.07 g occurs. Shut down is to be automatic upon detection of the seismic event. This requires tie-in of various valves and power for the prototype VDC into the existing Seismic Shutdown System for the Ventilation Supply Fans described in FSAR 5.4.1.2.4. The proposed changes covered by this USQ evaluation include: (1) the physical tie-in modifications, including drawings and Engineering Change Notice (ECN), (2) the work package for accomplishing the modifications, (3) the changes to the System Description Documents, (4) the changes to the Safety Equipment List necessitated by the modifications, and (5) the changes to the failure modes and effects analysis. WHC-SDCP-OSR-010, Plutonium Finishing Plant Operational Safety Requirements Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.2.3 has been revised to include the requirement for the existing seismic shutdown system to also shut down the laboratory calciner in the event of detection of a greater than 0.07 g seismic event.

In 1997, a can containing a plutonium metal ingot was opened. The sides of the inner storage can had collapsed. As the inner can was opened, an apparent flame appeared to issue from the opening. Based on the reaction and possible pressurization of the glovebox, a positive Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) screening was issued. This document contains some of the technical documents to resolve the screening.

The Z-accelerator facility at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, performs critical experiments on the physics of matter at extremely high energy density as part of the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons Stockpile Stewardship Program. In order to augment and enhance the value of experiments performed at this facility, the construction of a new x-ray backlighting diagnostic system is required. New information would be obtained by recording images and/or spectra of x-ray radiation transmitted through target materials as they evolve during Z-accelerator-driven experiments (or ''shots''). In this application, we generally think of the diagnostic x-rays as illumination produced behind the target materials and detected after passing through the Z-target. Hence the x-ray source is commonly called a ''backlighter.'' The methodology is a specific implementation of the general science known as x-ray radiography and/or x-ray spectroscopy. X-ray backlighter experiments have been performed in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facilities in many countries. On Nova, experience with backlighters has been obtained since about 1986. An intense source of x-rays is produced by focusing one of its beams on a backlighter target nearby, while the other beams are used to create the high-energy-density conditions to be studied in the experiment. This conceptual …

This report first briefly outlines the procedures and support/activation fixture developed at LLNL to perform the heart valve tests in an anechoic-like tank at the US Navy Transducer Evaluation Facility (TransDec) located in San Diego, CA. Next they discuss the basic experiments performed and the corresponding experimental plan employed to gather meaningful data systematically. The signal processing required to extract the desired information is briefly developed along with some of the data. Finally, they show the results of the individual runs for each valve, point out any of the meaningful features and summaries.