A study was made of a method for the flame photometric determination of iron. In Part I of this report, the flame emission spectrum of iron, measured by means of a Beckman Model DU spectrophotometer with a flame attachment, is compated to that measured with an ORNL high-sensitivity, recording, single-beam instrument, in order to determine which instrument is best suited for this application. Although it was found that the Beckman product has the higher resolving power over the wavelength region of 360 to 400mu, it does no posses the sensitivity or ease of operation of the ORNL instrument. On this basis, the ORNL flame spectrophotometer is used in subsequent tests. After selecting the best-suited instrument for the flame photometric determination of iron, it was necessary to establish the optimum operating conditions for this particular method. These conditions are described in Part II.

Abstract: "The niobium-carbon system has been determined by X-ray and metallographic examination of sintered and arc-cast alloys. Two carbides exist: hexagonal Nb2C with a limited range of homogeneity, and cubic NbC with a solubility range from 8.25 to 10.25 weight per cent carbon. Dilute alloys freeze by eutectic reaction at 2230 C. The solubility of carbon in niobium is 0.80 at the eutectic temperature, but this decreases rapidly with temperature. Metallographic evidence indicates a peritectic reaction between melt, Nb2C, and NbC; alloys richer in carbon than NbC freeze by eutectic reaction."

General considerations involving the transportation of irradiated fuel and radioactive wastes are reviewed. It is assumed that many reactors will supply feed to a few large multipurpose chemical plants which ultimately send radioactive waste to a few disposal sites. General economic considerations of irradiated fuel reprocessing, economic aspects of the nuclear economy complex, growth predictions of the nuclear power economy in the U.S., general requirements for the shipment of fuel and waste, regulations applicable to fuel shipment, and permissible radiation levels are discussed.

Abstract: "Fabrication techniques for producing dispersion fuel elements with cores of 30 volume per cost of UC, U2Tl, U3Si, or U6Ni dispersed in Zircology 2 and 30 volume per cent of UC or UN dispersed in Type 18-8 stainless steel have been investigated. Roll-clad plate-type elements of all these compositions may be fabricated by powder-metallurgy methods in such a manner that good core-to-cladding bonds and cores with uniform dispersions of discrete uranium-composed particles are obtained. From the standpoint of fabricability, elements containing UC is Zircology 2, UC in stainless steel, and UN in stainless steel are the most promising. The UN in stainless steel has the best corrosion resistance in 680 F degassed water; however, UC in stainless steel has the best resistance to corrosion in 700 F NaK."

The development of ionic methods for the determination of corrosion products in the highly radioactive Homogeneous Reactor (HR) fuels has been of major interest in the work of the Ionic Analyses Laboratory. Methods for the spectrophotometric determination of aluminum and for the polarographic determination of iron in HR fuels have been developed. The polarographic determination of molybdenum in uranyl sulfate solutions was studied. A polarographic method for the determination of zinc was developed. A fluorometric method for the determination of microgram amounts of fluoride was studied. Three organic reagents were investigated as precipitants for microgram quantities of zirconium in HR fuel. The automatic photometric titration technique was applied to the determination of thorium and of sulfate. A method was developed for the ionexchange separation and potentiometric titration of cobalt. The ultraviolet absorption spectra of technetium and rhenium were studied.

"These notes are intended to serve as a summary of the current knowledge of properties of materials. In the future some need may exist for related information on methods od testing, design and fabrication. This issue presents information on thorium with subdivisions..."