The casting of shapes of uranium--molybdenum metal of varying sizes and thicknesses from a molten charge has been successfally accomplished with specificially designed graphite distributors and molds. Solid cylinders, hollow cylinders, and flat plate shapes were cast in gang molds. As many as 35 solid cylinders have been cast simultaneously. All castings had smooth surfaces, and solid shapes were cast to 0.006-in. tolerance on all dimensions except length. (auth)

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The relative physiological and toxicological properties of americium and plutonium have been studied following their intravenous administration to rats. The urinary and fecal excretion of americium was similar to that of plutonium administered as Pu(N0{sub 3}){sub 4}. The deposition of americium the tissues and organs of the rat was also similar to that observed for plutonium. The liver and the skeleton were the major sites of deposition. Zirconium citrate administered 15 minutes after injection of americium increased the urinary excretion of americium and decreased the amount found in the liver and the skeleton at 4 and 16 days. LD{sub 30}{sup 50} studies showed americium was slightly less toxic when given in the acute toxic range than was plutonium. The difference was, however, too slight to be important in establishing a larger tolerance does for americium. Survival studies, hematological observations, bone marrow observations, comparison of tumor incidence and the incidence of skeletal abnormalities indicated that americium and plutonium have essentially the same chronic toxicity when given on an equal {mu}c. basis. These studies support the conclusion that the tolerance values for americium should be essentially the same as those for Plutonium.

Uranium can be rolled from cast metal or forged ingot to sheet satisfactory for cupping, deep drawing, and similar fabrication procedures by a combination of hot breakdown in the neighborhood of 600 deg C and warm finishing at 225 to 325 deg C. Sheet may also be obtained by hot rolling alone and by warm rolling alone, but the combination of hot and warm rolling afforded the best and most practical method to secure good quality sheet in the quantity required. The percent reduction by hot working does not appear to be critical, but at least 60% warm reduction is desirable to obtain complete and controlled grain size by recrystallization with high ductility and strength properties. Except for research investigation, rolling of uranium below 225 deg C is not recommended. Hot rolling of unplated uranium from the as-cast or as-forged surface is recommended, using a bath of 35% Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ plus 65% K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ for a heating medium. No further preparation other than washing the salt from the hot rolled surface is required before warm rolling, and a bath of Meltemp No. 7 oil is recommended for warm rolling. Starting with an as-cast tensile strength averaging 60,000 psi, …

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During the course of the ZPE-2 experimental program additional measurements were performed under the Alco Products Research and Development program. Included in this program were the evaluation of various absorber section compositions and reactivity studies designed to facilitate analytical techniques. The results of these measurements are presented. (auth)

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Physics scoping studies of a 300-Mw(e) PuO/sub 2/-UO/sub 2/-fueled fast- breeder reactor are reported. Physics design parameters that effect fuel costs, full conservation, and reactor safety were evaluated for use in the selection of parameters for a reference design. The total breeding ratio varied from 1.1 to 1.5 in the range of parameters corsidered. Plutonium core loading ranged from 500 to 1500 kg. Doubling time was found to be reduced by high-density fuel and low steel content. A compromise figure on fuel-rod range of sizes (about 100 mils) yields a 5 operating reactivity and a small, negative sodium temperature coefficient. (J.R.D.)

It is expected that after the Homogeneous Reactor Test has operated at high power, some maintenance operations will require flooding the reactor cell. Minimum temperatures for preventing peroxide precipitation from the fuel solution during flooding are plotted. (D.E.B.)

Experimental data obtained from the simulating air flow rig indicated that though the fluid entering the fuel elements amd control rods from the plenum chamber follows a rather random behavior, there is, however, a fairly consistent distributional pattern. Thus, fuel elements located equidistant from the core center may require different orifice diameters to meet a given flow requirement. This, in fact, is apparent from the final orifice diameter schedule which was recommended. Control of flow into the control rods was accomplished by restricting the flow into the fuel elements, thus allowing more fluid to enter the reds. Orificing or direct forms of flow regulation were not used on the control rods since their geometry was not conducive to installation of control means, and also because of the satisfactory results obtained with resort to flow control devices. The effect of the orifice schedule on the coolant flow distribution in the core is shown. These curves are based on the average of V/V/ sub avg/ values determined from experimental data for families of fuel elements and control rods located at specific core radii. It should be noted that the final recommended orifice schedule is an attempt to further refine the nearly satisfactory …

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An introduction for the beginner to the fundamentals of nuclear physics is presented, dealing genernlly with the reactor physics aspects of the processes used at Hanford in the production of plutonium. The information is presented primarily for reactor operators and is intended as an aid toward better understanding of crucial pile conditions, as a training guide for new personnel, and as a source of subject matter for group discussion. (J.R.D.)

This document outlines a book on the subject of reactor fuel reprocessing that is still in the planning stages, representing the authors' thinking as of the arbitrary cut-off date of October 15, 1957. The subject matter that was intended for inclusion was: special considerations in radiochemical processing; chemical processes and operations; mechanical operations; fluid flow; heat transfer operations; solvent extraction; other mass diffusion operations; instrumentation; auxiliary equipment; plant design and operation; and fuel processing economics.

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This memorandum concerns the relative activities of Argon 41 and Nitrogen 16 in the pile gas composed of 95 percent carbon dioxide and 5 percent air. The memorandum is dated November 16, 1950. (JL)

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One of the basic problems associated with the production of uranium tetrafluoride is the varying reactivity of uranium trioxide (orange oxide). Separate batches of material produced by the same method may be so dissimilar that they require different sets of reaction conditions for satisfactory processing. Orange oxide (UO/sub 3/) is almost invariably a mixture of several different types. Reactivity'' is the term applied to the behavior or a given orange oxide with respect to its reduction to UO/sub 2/ and subsequent hydrofluorination to Uf/sub 4/. Assuming constant reaction conditions, it is thought that the reactivity of an orange oxide depends to varying degrees on the chemical composition and the physical makeup of the oxide. The visual examination of numerous samples of UO/sub 3/ suggested that the color of the oxide could be directly related to some of its chemical and physical properties. From this it was deduced that color ought to be related to the reactivity or the oxide and if so its measurement would permit the desired rapid prediction of reactivity. Quantitative measurements of color were made in the visible region of the spectrum. These measurements were compared to experimentally determined reactivities. A simple rapid test was ultimately devised …

A description of the four-toroid rotator, a relatively simple apparatus particularly applicable to the determination of the corrosive effects of flowing solutions or slurries on structural materials, is presented in detail. In this apparatus flow of a liquid medium at known velocities is induced in a circular section of pipe without the use of pumps. Included are details of mechanical design, descriptions of equipment and instrumentation, a list of fabrication costs, and a discussion of operational experience. (auth)