This is a technical progress report for the Research and Development, and 234-5 Metallurgy Groups of the metallurgy-pile technology unit for the period Oct 1951. Numerous reports are attached under the general areas: P-10 alloy development; uranium metallurgy; metallurgy of Hanford structural materials; radiometallurgy, facility development; plutonium metallurgy program; canning development; plant service work; 234-5 metallurgy group, plutonium metallurgy program.

This summary from the analytical research section, May 1, 1951, briefly describes the analytical method to be utilized in the recovery of plutonium from crucibles program.

The recuplex Process is proposed by the Process Assistance group of the Separations Technology Unit as a feasible method for the simultaneous and efficient recovery of waste materials in the 234--5 Building and direct coupling of the product steams from the Redox and Bismuth Phosphate Processes to the 235-5 Building operations. Demonstration of the feasibility of the process has been accomplished through the cooperative efforts of the Chemical Research, Chemical Development, and Process Assistance groups of the Separations Technology Unit and LTS described in this document.

Minor changes in materials and methods resulted in increased yields in the production of fuel elements for the Bulk Shielding Facility. Attempts to bond uranium to a mercury-- silver alloy resulted in bonds of insufficient strength. Thorium alloys containing 2 to 4% Nb. Cr. Mn, Ti, Zr, Be. Al, and Si were prepared. The alloys containing Be, Al. or Si were hard, brittle, and not cold-workable. The alloys containing the other elements were coldworkable in the as-cast condition. Impact testing of pure thorium, using standard V-notch specimens, revealed a transition from brittle to tough behavior at 120 to 200 deg C. The determination of UAL/sub 4/: UAL/sub 3/ ratios, lattice parameters, and microstructures for the Al--Si--U system is reported. It was found that for a 20% uranium alloy, only 0.8% Si is necessary to completely suppress the formation of UAL/sub 4/. In general, ferritic iron--chromium alloys appeared more resistant to static corrosion by 1000 deg C lithium and lead than did austenitic alloys. Compatability tests with combinations of Mo, UO/sub 2/ BeO, Nb, and stainless steels 309 and 316 are discussed. True stress-natural strain-time diagrams for copper at room temperature are presented. (See also ORNL-2839.) (C.J.G.)

BS>Various types of wood, steel, and aluminum window construction, glazed with plastic and different kinds of glass, were installed on four sides of a test structure during the greenhouse tests in order to determine their relative resistance to an atomic blast. The degree of protection from flying glass provided by mounting Venetian blinds, insect screens, and 1/4-in. mesh wire netting on the inside of window openings was also determined. The best results seem to indicate that the resistances of different types of glass to an atomic blast are approximately proportional to their strength in supporting static loads. Glass mounted in a rigid frame is less likely to be broken than if mounted in a flexible frame which may be distorted by the blast. Fragments from wire or safety glass are less dangerous to personnel than fragments from other types of glass, and plastic is less likely to break than glass, Commercial types of Venetian blinds and insect screens afforded littie or no protection against flying glass fragments at the distance at which tested; however, a blind with some of the parts reinforced and properly anchored to the window opening would. probably give some protection at a distance of 3 miles …

The stability and corrosion resistance of thorium exposed to eutectic NaK were investigated. Satisfactory results on thorium tube or rod fabrication by means of extrusion were obtained. Rolling and swaging thorium presented no difficulty but drawing proved unsuccessful. Strainhardening values of iodide thorium were about half of those of Ames thorium. The fubrication of unanium tubing by extrusion was successful in the alpha but not in the gamma nange. By increasing the extrusion ratio, an increaae in the strength of the STA410! fiber texiure with respect to that of the STA010! component and an increase in sharpness of both resulted. Static corrosion tests using a two-component system was initiated. The characteristics of a plate which is to be fabricated into a fuel element tube were determined and methods for fabrication of such a plate are discussed. (See also ORNL-910(Del).) (C.J.G.) Preliminary investigations on SAP (sintered aluminum powder) alloys are reported. The mechanical properties of SAP at elevated temperatures are oniy slightly altered by prolonged heating. Its structaral stability is not effected by temperatures at 450 deg C and lower temperatures, blistering starts at 520 deg C and fissures appear in thin walled SAP 930 tubes at temperatures higher than 500 …

Design and construction of remote control equipment for plutonium metal production are described. Criteria for the design of the equipment included the following: rubber gloves were to be completely eliminated; all mechanisms were to be built as integral units to facilitate replacement through use of the plastic- bag technique; no accessory equipment such as switches, valves, piping, or cylinders were to be inside the contaminated enclosure unless required to handle the plutonium; and all units were to be tested in mockups before final design. The chemical process, general layout, and operating function are outlined. Descriptions are given of all mechanical units, electrical systems, hydroxide slurry systems, ventilation systems, and chemical tanks and manifolds. (W.L.H.)

Studies were continued on processes for the separation and purification of Ac/sup 227/ from neutron-irradiated Ra and for the deposition of Ac on various metal surfaces. (For preceding period see MLM-519.) (C.W.H.)

Comparative studies of a series of halogenated solvents, as carriers for TTA in the chelate process for plutonium extraction, indicate that ortho-dichlorobenzene most nearly satisfies the requirements that are set forth. A complete process design is presented for use with this solvent, and flow data and equipment capacities are given for dissolver solution and for uranium-free fission product solution as alternate feeds to the process. Vertical mixer-settlers are recommended as the contractors, although pulsed columns or packed columns are also believed to be suitable. The size of such units is estimated from the best available rate and equilibrium data, and the effects of several operating variable are considered.

This volume is one set of a series which has been prepared as a record of the research work done under the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Energy Commission.

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The operating holdup and flooding rates of uranium hexafluoride, n-heptane, and perfluorodimethylcyclohexane have been studied in a glass still filled with 1/8 inch nickel Heli-Pak. The flooding rates of the latter two substances are 46.0 and 48.0 cc./min. respectively and the flooding rate for uranium hexafluoride, calculated from the Bertetti equation, is 42.9 cc./min. The operating holdups for these three substances on Heli-Pak were measured at several throughput rates up to the flooding rate and an equation derived, based on the method of Jesser and Elgin, for computing the holdup of uranium hexafluoride from a knowledge of the holdup of perfluorodimethylcyclohexane. Observations of the performance of the packing and a measurement of the number of drops of uranium hexafluoride per milliliter at 75 deg C. are also presented.

The work presented in this volume concludes the research on methods for the recovery of purified radium from K-65 residues. The completion of a final report and an engineering study of the proposed process are underway. The preliminary treatment of the K-65 residues with 15% sodium hydroxide was checked and found to give 84% removal of lead and 40% removal of silica. The combined sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate treatment for removing additional amounts of lead and achieving a preliminary conversion of the radium-barium silfates to carbonates has been studied at 170 deg C under pressure as well as at 100 deg C as previously used. A marked improvemont was found with the use of higher temperatures. Alternate methods were studied for removing the residual lead content in place of precipitation with hydrogen sulfide. Precipitation of insoluble hydroxides was found to remove about 90% of the lead present. The over-all recovery of radium in the residues treatment has been checked and found to be better than 98%. The work on the separation of radium from barium by fractional precipitation of the chromates has shown that in actual practices the results are in good agreement with the results calculated from the observed …

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A tentative nickel-plutoniuni constitutional diagram was based on data obtained by thermal analysis, metallography, and x-ray-diifraction techniques. The systema is a complex one with the following important features. Nickel is soluble in epsilon plutonium, extending the epsilon field to 4.3 at.% nickel at 465 deg C. Nickel and plutonium form six intermetallic compounds, PuNi, EnNi/sub 2/, PuNi/sub 3/, PuNi/sub 4/, PuNi/sub 5/, and PuNi/sub 9/. The compound PuNi/ sub 5/ forms congruently from the melt at approximately l300 deg C, whereas the other compounds forma peritecticaliy. The extended epsilon field termainates in a eutectoid reactlon at 415 deg C and l.5 at.% nickel. Epsilon plutonium and the compound PuNi form a eutectic system at 465 deg C with a eutectic compcsition of l2.5 at,% nickel. Nickel and the compound PuNi/sub 9/ form a eutectic system at l2l0 deg C with a eutectic composition of 92 at.% nickel. Plutonium forms a limited solid solution with nickel. (auth)

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A number of alloys of zirconium have been investigated as part of a program aimed at improving the high-temperature tensile strength of zirconium. These alloys include molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, tin, titanium, and nitrogen alloys. It was found that small additions of molybdenum, tantalum, tin, titanium, and nitrogen appreciably increase the high-temperature tensile strength of zirconium.

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Further measurements have been made on the photoproduction of neutral mesons using the gamma-gamma coincidence technique. New data have been obtained on the gamma-gamma correlation curves in beryllium. The angular distribution of the photo mesons in Be has been determined and found to be strongly peaked forward. The dependence on the atomic number A of production has been found to obey an A{sup2/3} law. Some data obtained for production in hydrogen show that the pi-zero and pi-plus production cross sections are comparable and that the pi-zero excitation curve starts more slowly from threshold than does the pi-plus photo excitation curve.

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