This is the thirty-sixth progress report of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Progress during the period of November 30, 1954 through February 28, 1955 is reported.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, June, 1955. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

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Two-group constants have been prepared for a range of steel-water volume ratios. A calculation of critical mass and flux distribution has been made for an existing steelwater critical experiment. In order to check the experimental critical mass the age was increased. The effect of this adjustnnent on flux distribution was noted. The critical mass and flux distribution were calculated for the clean APPR critical experiment using the adjusted curve of age vs steel- water volume ratio. The calculated critical mass of the clean APPR critical experiment was 9.04 kg of U/sup 235/. (auth)

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Design data, specifications, and drawings are preserted for control rod absorber plates for the Army Package Power Reactor critical experiment. (L.T.W.)

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The reactivation of B-Plant and the continued operation of T-Plant under the 4X Program have led to the problem of obtaining additional underground tankage in both 200 East Area and 200 West Area for the storage of B-Plant metal waste, second cycle waste sludge, 224-B Building waste sludge, B and T-Plant first cycle waste scavenged sludge, and perhaps additional TBP concentrated wastes. As a result of this problem, a study has been made to determine the engineering feasibility of using a scavenging type process, similar to that used in the TBP Plant, for recovering the storage space in tanks currently filled with TBP wastes. The results of this study are reported herein. The purpose of this document is to present the scope, justification, and engineering feasibility of a nickel ferrocyanide scavenging system for stored TBP wastes.

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A plant designed for concentrating thorium by extraction from pitchblende residue by use of tributyl phosphate followed by hydrofluoric acid strip is described. The fluoride product is further purified by a solvent extraction flowsheet in hot laboratory equipment. An outline of the chemical technology used in this process is presented. (J.R.D.)

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