This report covers studies of the excretion and retention of 'tracer' and toxic doses of the 11.2-day Ra{sup 223} isotope, its acute toxicity (organ weight changes, gross and microscopic pathology, and Fe{sup 59} utilization by the bone marrow), and long-term histopathological changes and alterations in the hemogram.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of July, 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; and Financial Operation.

This report details activities of the Chemical Processing Department during the month of March 1958.

Output of plutonium from the separations plants Purex, Redox was slightly less than that scheduled; however, year-to-date production exceeds the corresponding commitment. Production of UO{sub 3} met the commitment, and UO{sub 3} shipments conformed to the established shipping schedule. Production of buttons and shapes was slightly less than the commitment as shown in the current Official Forecast. Shipments of buttons conformed to the current Forecast, while large shape shipments were slightly less than those forecasted. Feasibility of neptunium recovery was studied. Employee relations are reported.

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The February, 1958 monthly report for the Chemical Processing Department of the Hanford Atomic Products Operation includes information regarding research and engineering efforts with respect to the Purex and Redox process technology. Also discussed is the production operation, finished product operation, power and general maintenance, financial operation, engineering and research operations, and employee operation. (MB)

Re-appraisal of the available data on flow times of the Columbia River between the reactor areas and Pasco was undertaken to permit extrapolation of the flow-time curves to lower river flow rates. Comparisons were made between data collected by the US Corps of Engineers and Regional Monitoring and with the equation for calculation of flow times developed by H.T. Norton. Extrapolation of the Regional Monitoring float study data to a flow of 3 {times} 10{sup 5} gallons per second was accomplished by comparison with the slope of the curve obtained from the US Corps of Engineers data; the latter covered flow times from 100-F Area to Pasco over a range of 3.4 {times} 10{sup 5} gps to 3.7 {times} 10{sup 6} gps. The revised flow-time curves are illustrated in Figures 1 through 6.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of February 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: research and engineering operations; production and reactor operations; facilities engineering operations; employee relations operation; and, financial operation.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of June 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: research and engineering operations; production and reactor operations; facilities engineering operation; employee relations operation; and financial operation.

In laboratory scale experiments dilution of a Darex dissolver product from the integral dissolution of Yankee Atomic fuel specimens with at least an equal volume of 15.8M HNO/sub 3/, followed by distillation, produced a solvent extraction feed containing less than 50 ppm of chloride. Properly designed chloride stripping and nitric acid rectification columns are capable of conserving acids for recycle to the dissolver and chloride removal still. In initial experiments about 87% of the nitric acid and 36% of the hydrochloric acid were recovered. (auth)

A cost breakdown is given for stainless steel vs. zirconium in the Yankee Power Reactor. Zirconlum Production capacity is given for the U.S. along with zirconium priees. (W.L.H.)

The aqueous corrosion behavior of defected fuel elements having a U-2 wt. % Zr core with Zircaloy-2 cladding has been studied. A standard diffusion heat treatment for 7 hours at 880 C, followed by moderately rapid cooling, was established to overcome the effect of subtle defects in 15-mil Zircaloy cladding. The development of this heat treatment was carried out primarily with small rod specimens, which were also used to obtain data on aurxiliary effects of thw diffusion heat treatment. The heat treatment has been applied to full diameter tubes. One of these tubes was tested with subtle defects and various sections have been observed following the insertion of gross defects. These observations have shown a difference in the rate of hydrogen evolution as a result of heat treatment. In addition, the heat treatment changes the nature of failure in both full diameter tube sections and small rods. The presence of 2 wt. % Zr in the core reduces the corrosion rate considerably. Comparative quantitative data are presented for uranium alloys with various zirconium contents up to 15 wt. %. (auth)

Data are tabulated from studies of the long-term turnover rates for calcium-45 and strontium-90 in monkeys and rats Progress is reported in studies on the thyroid uptake and mammary tumor incidence in female rats as a function of dose of injected astatine211. Data are presented from studies on the radiation chemistry of solutions of pepsin. gelatin, chymotrypsin, yeast dehydrogenase, aqueous acetic acid --oxygen mixtures, oxygen-free formic acid solutions, and glysine -water systems at elevated temperatures. Encouraging results are reported following 340-Mev proton beam or 900-Mev alpha beam pituitary irradiation in patients with breast carcinoma, acromegaly. diabetes mellitus, and other conditdons that are under endocrine control through mediation of the pituitary Laboratory and clinical data indicating the degree of completeness of hypophysectomy are being collected on all patients. Studies were made of the thyroid function of animals subjected to intense alpha-particle or deuteron irradiation of the thyroid area. A method was developed for the separation of iodinated amino acids of the thyroid, and the method applied in tracer studies of the effect of pituitary irradiation on thyroid function in rats. Progress is reported in studies on: the effects of radiation on the permeability of yeast cells to sodium and potassium ions; …

The corrosion behavior of commercial tantalum in high-purity flowing sodium from 700 to 1200 deg F and the effect of sodium exposure on the creep strength of tantalum at 1200 deg F were investigated. The tests were conducted in forced-convection flow loops constructed of Type 315 stainless steel. With continuously gettered sodium systems (probably containing less than 10 ppm oxygen) operating for periods up to 50 days, weight losses sustained by 1200 deg F specimens corresponded to only about 0.1 mil of metal removed per year. Maximum weight losses, encountered with a continuously coldtrapped (about 40 ppm oxygen) sodium system, were equivalent to about 3 mils per year for 1200 deg F specimens. For the most part, metallographic examinations revealed no deleterious corrosion effects; however, one particular group of arc-cast tubing specimens suffered severe intergranular attack in sodium with about 80 ppm oxygen. In addition to the corrosion findings, the corrosion tests yielded information about the partition of interstitials, particularly oxygen, in the sodium -- tantalum system. Oxygen, for example, showed a tendency for migration from tantalum to high-purity sodium considerably stronger than wonld be predicted from limited thermodynamic data available. In the creep experiments, the oxygen content of the …

The He/sup 3/(n,p)T reaction can be utilized in a proportional counter for neutron-energy determination in the region 100 kev to 1 Mev. This has already been demonstrated and the reaction cross section in this energy region has been measured with a counter. For practical application of the counter as a spectrometer, such as in health physics work, it is desirable to increase the counter efficiency. A proportional counter utilizing an anticoincidence ring to reduce wall effect has been constructed for this purpose. Some preliminary tests of the proposed system are described. (auth)

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In a recent report by J.R. Young means of circumventing the present bulk temperature limits are suggested. These have definite merit but do not present an overall picture of the problem. Therefore this bulk temperature limit is reviewed in order to place the problem in its full perspective. A program of action is suggested that should land to either: Revised operating conditions and process piping to obtain higher power levels at the same bulk outlet temperature, or the completion of production tests to permit higher bulk outlet temperatures with no significant changes in reactor piping.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of January, 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; and Financial Operation.

The separations plants operated on schedule, and Pu production exceeded commitment. UO{sub 3} production and shipments were also ahead of schedule. Purex operation under pseudo two-cycle conditions (elimination of HS and 1A columns, co-decontamination cycle concentrator HCP) was successful. Final U stream was 3{times} lower in Pu than ever before; {gamma} activity in recovered HNO{sub 3} was also low. Four of 6 special E metal batches were processed through Redox and analyzed. Boric acid is removed from solvent extraction process via aq waste. The filter in Task II hydrofluorinator was changed from carbon to Poroloy. Various modifications to equipment were made.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of March, 1958. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; and Financial Operation.

Several problems connected with vortex cavity reactors were studied analytically. They include, the generation of high-strength vortices by utilization of bleed through a porous tube wall to stabilize the shear layer on the wall; the nuclear criticality problem; the suitability of various compounds of plutonium as gaseous fissionable materials; and the problem of retaining the fission fragments within the vortex tube. It is concluded that the shear layer on the vortex tube wall can be stabilized if a mass flow greater than or equal to the vortex through flow is bled through the porous wall, and that the tangential Mach numbers which can be obtained are then slightly more than one-half the inviscid values. Beryllium oxide or graphite-moderated reactors of reasonable size and weight can attain criticality if the product of the hydrogen pressure in the vortex core and the maximum value of the ratio of fissionable gas density to hydrogen density in the tube is greater than about 100 atm. The reactor weights are then in the order of 10,000 lb or less. Of the several compounds of plutonium considered as gaseous fuel carriers, plutonium trifluoride and plutonium tribromide appear to be the most promising. It is probable that …

The reactivities of several U--Nb-- Zr alloys in the Sodium Reactcr Experiment are compared with that of 2.8% enriched U fuel. The alloys considered have the following compositions: 15% Nb--70% U--15% Zr; 12% Nb--82% U--6% Zr; and 6% Nb--82% U-- 12% Zr. Each alloy is studied at U enrichments of 3, 7, and 11%, and the alloy enrichments necessary to give the same reactivity as the 2.8% enriched U fuel are found by interpolation. (T.F.H.)

The recent Windscale incident has emphasized the need for available light aircraft and proper instrumentation for aerial surveys following a release of large quantities of airborne radioactive materials. Early tests (1951 and 1955) are reviewed, and the program now in effect at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is presented. (auth)