None

None

None

None

None

None

Shipping cans containing product from plant runs completed in the latter half of April and in May showed, in general, definitely higher levels of radiation than had been observed previously. Likewise, containers for the transfer of the F-10-P solution from the 224 Bldg. to 231 Bldg. (during May) exhibited higher radiation levels than could be attributed to higher power levels and increased batch sizes. These higher radiation levels were indicative that some radioactive element (or elements) was present in an amount greater than previously as would be expected from the shorter cooler periods, or that decontamination of elements previously present was less complete. It was considered essential to identify the source of these radiations and the cause for their presence has been investigated. The radioactive contaminant present in the final product has been identified rather definitely as Np{sup 239} which has 2.3d half-life a 0.25 MeV gamma ray and a weak beta ray. The amount of Np has increases as a result of the brand toward shorter cooling periods and the law decontamination factor for Np in the Separation Process.

None

This document details the activities of the Hanford 100 Area for the month of February 1945.

None

This report presents a brief synopsis of an investigation of unusual incidents at the 100-B and 100-F areas at HAPO. (CBS)

Two events of broad significance occurred in the 100B Area during this report period. These are the discovery of pimpled slugs in high concentration tubes discharged on 10-30-45 and the discovery of leaking VSR thimbles on 11-15-45. Although more extensive reports of these occurrences will be made elsewhere, these events have aspects of significance to physics and basic data will be given in this report for record purposes.

This report provides the original data in the form of rough notes for production reactor coefficient tests.

This report presents a brief discussion of a reactor incident at the 105-D area.

This memorandum provides results of spectroscopic analysis of pile gas which were completed on August 4, 1945.

In the design of the pile, it was considered advisable never to impose so great a heat load on any tube that the available header pressure would be insufficient to sweep the tube free of vapor if boiling should accidentally be initiated in the tube. Figures are given for the maximum temperature rises permissible, as function of header pressure and orifice diameter.

The uranium slugs were used as the charge into the pile for the manufacture of minute quantities of plutonium. So little was known of uranium`s commercially adaptable physical properties that it was relegated almost to the category of a laboratory curiosity. A series of experimental and developmental programs were inaugurated to determine not only the extrudability, machinability and other physical properties, but also the influence on these of microscopic quantities of impurities present in the uranium. This historical document describes these early studies in the following sections: exceptional characteristics of the slug program; extrusion; drawing, waging and rolling; outgassing and straightening; Project 1030 (procurement of an additional sixty tons of finished slugs over and above that quantity originally supplied to the Clinton Laboratories) Machining, grinding and grooving; development of canning methods; production of canned slugs; and The Dummy Slug program.

A number of slugs have been dipped in lead, then Al-Si and canned. Laboratory experiments showed that the can and outer bonding layers could be removed by the standard caustic-nitrate treatment. The alloy layer was removed from several slugs by hot nitric acid without use of hydrofluoric acid. It was desired to extend the method to the plant process and to clean accumulated lead dipped pieces. Lead dipped slugs may be cleaned by the regular recovery process with a weight loss of about 0.03 lbs. per slug. Attempts to modify or shorten the procedure were not successful. Twenty-four (24) of the recovered slugs were canned satisfactorily.

Strains are introduced into bars by cold working in the straightening operation. If no treatment is applied to relieve the strains after the straightening operation, it is conceivable that they may be relieved in the canning process and cause warped slugs. The purpose of this test was to see if fewer non-seats would occur among slugs machined from bars that were outgassed after straightening. Seven hundred and thirty-five slugs from bars that were straightened before outgassing were caned by the standard procedure. One percent non-seats and 1.9% wrinkled cans were noted at the canning pot. It is recommended that all rods which are to be straightened be passed through the straightening operation before outgassing.

It has been found that warped slugs which produce ``non-seats`` segregated after the centrifuging operation by use of a suitable gauge. The slugs which do not pass the gauge are quenched in water and set aside for later recovery. The purpose of this test was to determine if the rejected slugs could be straightened, degreased and recanned by dipping them directly in the bronze and then through the subsequent steps. One hundred and twenty-nine slugs rejected by the warp gauge were straightened, degreased and recanned by dipping directly into the bronze bath, Eleven non-seats and one Al-Si spill over were rejected at the canning pot.The above procedure is recommended as a possible means of treating slugs rejected in the canning operation because of wrap.

This document contains minutes of a meeting on Columbia River studies that took place on July, 13, 1945. Topics discussed include: dispersal of thermal effluent, viability of current sampling techniques, survey records of chemical and bacteriological analysis, the results of the fish study, analytical procedures to determine the addition of small amounts of addition agents, radioactivity studies, and determination of new sampling points.

The objectives of Hanford operations are the production of sufficient quantities of plutonium and secondary products in time to meet adequately military requirements at the lowest cost of manpower, money, and materials commensurate with the maximum degree of certainty in attaining the objectives. The facilities operations at Hanford are described.

In this document, information about the need for a better compound to for filtering process water from the production reactors. It was found that the natural turbidity in the Columbia River was high enough to necessitate the use of a coagulant to minimize the passage of iron through filters. Tests indicated that Ferrisul was the better of the two compounds tested.

None