Boron solution circulated through special poison tubes to achieve more variable control of neutron flattening'' was tested in the 100-DR Hanford reactor. About 2700 gallons of irradiated waste Ink solution from Production Test 105-529-A was discharged to an underground crib at 100-DR, after radiochemical analyses and evaluation of radiation protection aspects by the Radiological Sciences Department. In case the Ink method is considered for production use at Hanford in the future, further biological and biophysical study is recommended to determine whether irradiated waste Ink solution may be disposed of into the Columbia River, into the ground near the river, or into the ground several miles from the river. 10 refs, 2 tabs.

This document presents a summary of work and progress at the Hanford Engineer Works for July 1954. The report is divided into sections by department. A plant wide general summary is included at the beginning of the report, after which the departmental summaries begin. The Manufacturing Department reports plant statistics, and summaries for the Metal Preparation, Reactor and Separation sections. The Engineering Department`s section summarizes work for the Technical, Design, and Project sections. Costs for the various departments are presented in the Financial Department`s summary. The Medical, Radiological Sciences, Utilities and General Services, Employee and Public Relations, and Community Real Estate and Services Departments have sections presenting their monthly statistics, work, progress, and summaries.

On July 27, 1954, 965 grams of plutonium alloy contained in three standard quart size ice cream cartons were being removed from the process line by two process operators using the plastic bag technique. Shortly after the plastic bag scaler had been energized a brown spot appeared on the plastic bag. The glowing turnings burned through the containers and plastic bag and continued to burn until completely oxidized. Personnel contamination was minor and readily removed. The contamination was confined to the room of the incident and was deposited in gross amounts in the area surrounding Task IV and V. This report includes a description of the incident and subsequent decontamination activities and a summary of plutonium recovery. Facts unknown about the incident and the reasons for these facts not being known are discussed. Plans for the future for reducing the possibility of recurrence of a similar incident are formulated.

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Bevatron operation has been stopped temporarily due to a generator fault. While repairs are being instituted the tank will be down to air for repairs and target installation. Operation on one generator is scheduled for May 3. It has been previously proposed that one could investigate the {pi}{sub 0} lifetime by measuring the converted electron yield from {pi}{sub 0} decay photons as a function of the thickness of a thin target in which both the {pi}{sub 0} production and photon conversion occur. If the lifetime were effectively zero the electron yield should depend quadratically upon thickness; whereas if the lifetime is sufficiently great, this quadratic rise will be delayed as the thickness is increased, due to the distance travelled by the {pi}{sub 0} before decay. In fact, the beginning of the yield dependence is cubic rather than quadratic in character. It is estimated that a lifetime of 10{sup -15} seconds should provide a distinctly detectable effect. The investigation may be considered practical at the Bevatron providing: (a) the production cross section for {pi}{sub 0}'s at 6 Bev is about 100 times that at 340 Mev, (b) a Bevatron pulse of 10{sup 8} protons, with a recirculation of 1000 times thru …

The equations used in advanced reactor core calculations and a semigraphical method for their solution are presented. The following fuel elements are analyzed: continuous plates, parallel-flow rods, cross-flow rods, tubular flow channels in a solid matrix of fuel, and pellets. (M.H.R.)

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This report addresses the determination of oxygen in uranium and uranium hydride by reaction with bromine trifluoride.

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The C-Reactor is currently equipped with neoprene covered stainless steel bellows connectors between the rear face nozzles and crusaders. These pigtails are failing at an excessive rate and must be replaced at an early date. The replacement design, developed by Pile Technology Sub-Section, utilizes a relatively short length of stainless steel tubing and a slip joint sealed by ``O``-rings. This report describes a test to evaluate the suitability of the slip joint pigtail as a replacement rear face connector.

Ion exchange column elution methods for the separation of americium and curium using tartrate and lactate solutions have been developed which are superior to citrate elutions. Tartrate elutions are suitable for slow separations and lactate elutions are satisfactory for general use where rapid separations are required. Fission and spallation products were isolated from Pu{sup 239} targets which had been bombarded with alpha particles of 21 to 37 Mev energy. Fission yield curves as well as fission and spallation excitation functions are presented and discussed in terms of odd-even and Z{sup 2}/A effects. The high cross sections observed for the (a, 2n) and (a, p2n) reactions were surprising results from this investigation. In the course of the Pu{sup 239} bombardments, studies of the decay schemes of Am{sup 240}, Cm{sup 240}, and Cm{sup 241} were undertaken. Decay energy and half-1ife information on all of the transmercury nuclides has been collected and systematized. Trends on the energy surface for alpha energies, beta energies, nucleon binding energies, and Bohr-Wheeler parameters are presented. These energy systematics have led to a complete tabulation of the masses of the isotopes of the elements above mercury. Predictions of nuclear properties are included for some isotopes of elements 99 …

Hydrostatic pressing was investigated as a method of fabricating long preforms made from uranium powder. A laboratory scale pressure vessel was constructed to evaluate the feasibility of this process. Various metal powders were loaded into flexible molds and subjected to pressure in an enclosed liquid. The high density of uranium caused the flexible molds to distort during filling and after pressing there was a tendency for the compact to adhere to the mold. Methods of minimizing these difficulties are suggested. Uranium powder, compacted in a plastic mold at 21 tsi had a density of 12.5 g/cc. During the course of the investigation, it was found that hydrostatic pressing of other metal powders presented advantages over conventional steel die methods, especially in the ability to press experimental shapes using economical equipment. Recommendations were made for further development work on both cold and hot hydrostatic pressing. (auth)

Results indicate the following: buttons of zirconium di-boride, tantalum carbide, and titanium carbide cannot be obtained by electron beam melting; small ingots or buttons of boron can be obtained by electron beam melting, but the boron is still very brittle; and the chromium content of beryllium is reduced by electron beam melting. (auth)

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The methods of an analysis of the critical safety of process tanks in the Recuplex installation are discussed and results of the analysis are tabulated in this report. A minimum critical condition for a thermal chain reaction is estimated for 0-200 MWD/T Pu and for 400 MWD/T Pu for each tank in the installation vhich normally contains, or could contain, plutonium. All estimates are based on experimental critical mass data from the P-11 project and from Oak Ridge critical mass experiments.