Abstract: "X-ray powder patterns of two curium compounds, the trifluoride and the oxide, have been obtained, using sub-microgram specimens. The fluoride prepared by precipitation from aqueous solution with HF is isomorphous with NdF3. Treatment of CmF3 with F2 (g, 1 atm.) did not convert it to CnF4 or higher fluoride. Air ignition of curium oxalate gave a compound having a cubic lattice with a constant expected for Cm2O3 rather than for Cmo2. Due to the extremely high level of gamma and x-radiation accompanying Ca-242 alpha emission (162 days half-life)-(2,3), it has heretofore been impossible to obtain x-ray powder patterns of any curium compounds. Another difficulty has been the danger of contamination, as the specific activity of curium is 7 x 10-9 d/m/[mu]g. We have found that patterns, even though of poor quality, sufficient to identify the structure can be obtained by using very small samples in thin, tapered capillaries with short exposure times."

From abstract: "A windlass that operates a safety rod for a nuclear reactor was developed to decelerate the rod after it drops under emergency conditions into the reactor. The windlass is designed to convert the kinetic energy of the falling rod as it nears its limit of travel to rotational energy in the windlass. The conversion is accomplished without the aid of an external power source or an auxiliary snubbing mechanism."

"A series of shock tube studies demonstrate that two types of pressure gauges respond to dust carried with shock waves by indicating an increase in dynamic pressure. This contribution to the dynamic pressure is approximately the product of the dust density and the square of the dust velocity under the experimental conditions. Besides this information studies give insight into the interaction of a square shock wave with dust when that dust is placed in a plane before and parallel to the shock front. It is found that the shape of the pressure wave is little changed except for a rounding of the front. The dust, after accelerating, is carried as a pulse with the mass flow velocity of the air."

Specific surface and bulk density measurements were made on samples of 22 U308 materials which had been prepared by calcination at 900°C of widely differing uranium peroxide precipitates and had been evaluated as to "reactivity" by successive treatment with hydrogen and a mixture of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen in a production-type batch process for the preparation of UF4. Specific surface and bulk density measurements were also made on samples of the 22 corresponding U02 intermediates. The ranges of values encountered in the U308 samples and in the U02 samples were 0.05 m /g to 0.37 m /g and 0.03 m /g to 0.33 m /g, respectively, for specific surface and 3.7 g/cm to 1.8 g/cm and 4.9 g/cm to 2.7 g/cm3, respectively, for packed bulk density. Specific surface varied inversely with packed bulk density for U308, the data showing a good correlation. A very poor correlation between specific surface and packed bulk density of U02 was obtained. The conversion of U308 to UF4 n the standard process varied from 22% for the lowest specific surface, highest bulk density oxide to 98 to 99% for the high specific surface, low bulk density oxides. The observed values for properties of the …

Abstract: "The problem of maintaining livable oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures in a closed space in which men must live leads to consideration of the possible use of the photosynthesis of green algae. A calculation based on the known respiratory rate of man and the photosynthetic rates of Chlorella indicates that it would be feasible to use algae for this purpose."

From introduction: "This report is an attempt to examine, semiquantitavely, the way the competition between neutron emission and fission varies for heavy nuclei as a function of nuclear type and excitation energy. Many of the ideas herein are the results of discussions with R. H. Goeckermann and W. Heckrotte of the University of California Radiation Laboratory."

The following report follows the studies of electroplating on uranium and concurrent metallurgical clodding.

A preliminary study has been made of a solid homogeneous reactor for stationary power plant application. The core consists of graphite spheres impregnated with uranium and thorium, and the coolant is bismuth. This concept possible offers advantages over other solid fuel reactor systems with respect to simplification of core structure, fuel fabrication and fuel handling, and reduction of fuel inventory external to the reactor. From the results of this preliminary study, it appears that the potential cost of electric power from this reactor is competitive with that from other reactor systems which have been proposed for the same application. The Po210 produced in the coolant presents a decontamination problem, but is also possibly a valuable by-producgt.

One of the distinguishing features of many chemical production processes is that the process variation is obscured by measurement errors which are of the same order of magnitude or greater. This paper will discuss some elementary means of estimating true product variability under these conditions.

Abstract: "In experimental studies, decontamination factors of 1000 to 3000 were obtained by electrostripping deposited radioactivity from stainless steel surfaces, used as the anode, in 2% sulfuric acid at current densities as low as 0.01 amp/in.-2. Stainless steel cathodes were used. The method was successfully applied to contaminated equipment."

Abstract: "A method for determining hydrogen in lithium hydride by heating samples with lead at 600 C, was developed. The hydrogen evolved during thermal decomposition of the hydride is purified and oxidized to water with cupric oxide at 400 C. The analysis is completed by collecting and weighing this water. Success in development of the analytical procedure has depended upon a careful design and assembly of equipment for handling samples in a dry, inert atmosphere. For seven pure hydride samples analyzed by the recommended method the estimates of the standard deviation varied between 0.12 and 0.41 percent lithium hydride (or 1.3 and 4.2 parts per thousand) for 8 to 18 determinations on each sample. The procedure is relatively insensitive to variations in certain conditions. For single-piece samples weighing 0.2 to 0.5 gram it was found to be more satisfactory than a method which uses mercury in place of lead for sample decomposition. For powdered lithium hydride samples the lead and mercury methods are equally satisfactory."

The fluorometric method for determining microgram quantities of uranium dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid was reinvestigated for the purpose of measuring any interference caused by plutonium in uranium samples. No plutonium fluorescence, and therefore no positive errors due to plutonium, were observed. Limited transmittance of hexavalent plutonium in sulfuric acid at 513, and especially at 360 millimicrons, produces variable negative errors in uranium determinations.

A spectrophotometric method used in the determination of thorium was modified for the purpose of analyzing plutonium alloys which contained 0.01 to 0.8 percent thorium. Absorbance values were measured at 545 millimicrons for solutions containing thorium and thorin, the organic reagent added to form a colored complex with thorium in the presence of plutonium (III) . With plutonium-thorium 0.8 percent thorium, the average recovery of thorium was 99.6 +- 1.5 percent. For similar samples containing 0.01 to 0.2 percent thorium, the average recovery 101.0 +- 3.4 percent, after the thorium was separated from plutonium by precipitation of thorium fluoride with the aid of lanthanum fluoride as a carrier.

Abstract: A method for separating small amounts of scandium (1 to 10 mg.) from a gram of uranium depends upon formation of insoluble uranium peroxide while the scandium in solution is complexed with ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid. The precipitated peroxide carries down less than 30 p.p.m. of scandium. Uranium left in solution, less than one milligram in amount, does not interfere when the scandium is precipitated as ammonium scandium tartrate and determined gravimetrically by ignition of the tartrate to the oxide.

Abstract: "Observations on the metabolism of chyle cholesterol in the rat show that exogenous cholesterol entering the systemic circulation in chyle exists in lipoproteins of low density (including chylomicrons) migrating with a high Sf rate (i.e.>400) in the ultracentrifuge. Following entry into the systemic circulation these molecules are rapidly removed from the plasma. This "clearing" of serum chyle cholesterol is a tissue phenomenon, the liver being the predominant site. Within the liver the chyle cholesterol esters are at least partially hydrolyzed; hydrolysis apparently does not occur in the plasma to any appreciable extent. After its entry into the liver exogenous cholesterol, if normally metabolized, presumably mixes with and becomes indistinguishable from cholesterol produced by endogenous synthesis."

The proposed ORNL Research Reactor is designed to serve as a general purpose research tool delivering a maximum thermal flux of 8x10^13 n/cm2-sec at the initial power level of five megawatts. Operation at power levels up to ten megawatts is proposed for such items as sufficient cooling capacity is available to handle the increased heat load. The reactor will use MTR-type fuel elements and beryllium reflector pieces in a 7 x 9 grid with moderation and cooling provided by forced circulation of demineralized water. The reactor tanks are submerged in a barytes concrete pool, filled with water, which serves as a biological shield. Experimental facilities include two 18" diameter "Engineering Test Facilities" and six 6" diameter beam holes. In addition, access to the core is available through the water of the pool. The result on the surrounding population of release to the atmosphere of a large fraction of the radioactive material in the core has been computed by two methods. It is shown that under certain conditions off-area personnel could be subjected to greater than the maximum permissible exposure. An analysis of the maximum hazard caused by the release of the entire contents of the core to the local watershed …

This memorandum sets forth a recommended uniform basis for designing the ORN shield.This includes design values for power level and emergent radiation, standards values for various material properties, and basic radiation intensities.

From introduction: "This article constitutes the third of a series of three papers on the "direct" measurements of the meson masses by the "Hp vs. Range" mass ratio method...The study here reported is a logical extension of the pion-proton mass ratio technique."

The index of refraction of PuO2 made by thermal decomposition of PU(C2O2, 6H2O gradually increases from a value < 1.9 to 2.40 as the decomposition temperature is increased from 150 degree to l000 degree C. This change in refractive index parallels a gradual change in the x-ray diffraction pattern from weak, diffuse lines for PuO2 ignited at 150° to sharp, well resolved lines for PuO2 ignited at 1000°C. Similar results are observed for PuO2 made by thermal decomposition of Pu2(C2O4)3*11H2O. The refractive index of PuO2 made from Pu metal at 170°C is 2.40 and is not affected by further ignition at higher temperatures, although crystal growth does occur. The rate of solution of PuO2 in an HCl-KI solution is greatest for samples prepared at low temperatures and decreases markedly for oxides ignited at higher temperatures. These observations hive been interpreted to mean that ignition at higher temperatures causes a gradual perfection of the originally highly distorted and impurity-containing PuO2 lattice obtained by low temperature decomposition of the oxalates and promotes the slow growth of crystallites. Both factors decrease the reactivity of the PuO2.

The index of refraction of PuO2 made by thermal decomposition of PU(C2O2, 6H2O gradually increases from a value < 1.9 to 2.40 as the decomposition temperature is increased from 150 degree to l000 degree C. This change in refractive index parallels a gradual change in the x-ray diffraction pattern from weak, diffuse lines for PuO2 ignited at 150° to sharp, well resolved lines for PuO2 ignited at 1000°C. Similar results are observed for PuO2 made by thermal decomposition of Pu2(C2O4)3*11H2O. The refractive index of PuO2 made from Pu metal at 170°C is 2.40 and is not affected by further ignition at higher temperatures, although crystal growth does occur. The rate of solution of PuO2 in an HCl-KI solution is greatest for samples prepared at low temperatures and decreases markedly for oxides ignited at higher temperatures. These observations hive been interpreted to mean that ignition at higher temperatures causes a gradual perfection of the originally highly distorted and impurity-containing PuO2 lattice obtained by low temperature decomposition of the oxalates and promotes the slow growth of crystallites. Both factors decrease the reactivity of the PuO2.

The investigation to be described in this paper was one of several undertaken to resolve a curious discrepancy that had arisen in measurements of the diffusion length of graphite. Those diffusion lengths measured with the graphite layups of 100 Area piles were three to six centimeters higher than the value obtained with the Hanford Standard Pile. The fact that the 100 Area structures of the order of 40 ft. X 40 ft. X 30 ft, not including reflector, approximated an infinite medium, whereas sigma piles are of the order of 8 ft. X 8ft. X 10 ft., suggested the possibility that the diffusion length obtained by mensuration of relative fluxes and application of the conventional equations depended in some way on the size of the medium. Therefore, in order to determine if such a dependency actually exists, it was proposed to erect a series of graphite stacks of different dimensions and to make diffusion length measurements in each.

From abstract: "A composite ultrasonic unit was developed to indicate the size and location of non-bonded areas and the presence of non-transformed regions in flat uranium fuel elements clad with aluminum. A two-dimensional recorder was developed to yield instantaneous, permanent records of the non-bonded areas on electrosensitive paper. Panel lights indicate the presence of non-transformed regions that have not received proper heat treatment. Defects 1/8" in diameter are consistently detected at an inspection rate of approximately 50 sq. in./min."

Abstract: "The cross section for this reaction is calculated for three Hulthen deuteron wave functions. A hard core in the deuteron at one-half meson Compton wavelength reduces the total cross section and flattens the angular distribution in the backwards direction in agreement with experiment."

Abstract. An analysis is made of a proposal to obtain neutrons of 15-25 Kev energy by moderating fast neutrons in aluminum and then reflecting off titanium. The fluxes calculated do not significantly exceed those obtainable from a standard antimony-beryllium photoneutron source. Two appendices treat aspects of the transport of neutrons through a slab of finite thickness.