Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory over studies conducted on the Argonne Low Power Reactor. As stated in the abstract, "this report describes the manufacture of 1150 fuel core blanks, of which 816 were used in the fabrication of fuel elements. Development, casting, hot and cold rolling, cleaning, and punching of core blanks are discussed, as are nondestructive testing and evaluation of the manufacturing processes" (p. 7). This report includes tables, illustrations, and photographs.

Hazard report on the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor that covers the basic modifications to the plant as designed to increase the present operating design rating of 20 Mw(t) to a new rating of 100 Mw(t). Changes and additions to the plant, core, reactor vessel, and other major components are shown. An analysis of the effects of the changes on the performance and safety of the reactor is presented.

From Introduction: "In this report data are presented on the various phases of the program, together with test results and recommendations for future plant improvements. The ALPR prototype has proven to be a stable and reliable nuclear power plant."

Report containing information regarding magnetic jacks, which are devices used "for positioning the control rods in a nuclear reactor, especially in a reactor containing water under pressure" (page 9). Contains a description of the device, its use, test results, and illustrations.

From Introduction: "More specifically, it describes the basic reactor complex, the problems involved, the various approaches pursued, the present status and estimated cost of the project, along with recommendations for future research and development essential to the successful culmination of the project."

The design of the Argonaut (Argonne Nuclear Assembly for University Training) was initiated by the Reactor Engineering Division of Argonne National Laboratory to satisfy needs for a low-power reactor facility within the Laboratory, and for training uses within the international School of Nuclear Science and Engineering (ISNSE). It was intended primarily for instruction and research in reactor physics. It was also considered as a possibility that it would fulfill the requirements of universities engaged in a program of nuclear science. The cost of the facility was to be kept to a minimum consistent with the high degree of inherent safety and a great amount of flexibility in the system. The basic design stemmed from the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory Thermal Test Reactor* (TTR), now called Nuclear Test Reactor (NTR). Modification during the course of the work justified the new name "Argonaut".

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing high-flux research reactor design studies. As stated in the summary, "this report presents a reactor design to meet the needs of the basic research program at Argonne National Laboratory. The program requires some irradiation in thermal flux...and some beam experiments..." (p. 5). This report includes tables, and illustrations.

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing the shielding of radiation produced by nuclear reactors. As stated in the introduction, "these lectures will be an attempt to discuss the design of a reactor shield and the solution of the associated shielding problems by simple hand-computing methods" (p. 19). This report includes tables, and illustrations.

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing a summary report of work completed between April and October, 1958. Summaries of the studies conducted and work completed are presented. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

A helix constructed of plutonium was made to test the Doppler temperature effect in ZPR-III. The helix, 1 inch in diameter and 6-1/4 inches long, contained 240 grams of delta-phase plutonium alloy encapsulated in titanium tubing. Four plutonium rods were extruded, joined together, and pushed into a titanium tube. This tube was swaged tightly over the plutonium rod, and the assembly was wound into a coil. Electrical leads to the coil were made by swaging copper tubing over the ends of the coil. The helix was tested by cycling about 500 times between 50°C and 190°C. The coil was heated with a current of 130 amperes and cooled with a blast of chilled helium. (1) Several helices of uranium(2) were cycled during the same tests. Despite the severity of the thermal cycles, the helices were undamaged.

Report regarding a nuclear reactor designed to operate in arctic conditions. This report includes a design of such a reactor and potential hazards.

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing selected physical properties of various solids, liquids, and gases of interest in nuclear reactor heat transfer and fluid flow analysis. In most cases, values for thermal conductivity specific heat, density, viscosity, and Prandtl numbers are given as functions of temperature. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

Development work was continued on the fused fluoride process for the recovery of enriched uranium from zirconium-matrix fuel alloys. The alloy is dissolved by immersing it in molten sodium fluoride-zirconium fluoride at 600°C and passing hydrogen fluoride vapor through the system.The dissolved uranium tetrafluoride in the melt is then volatilized as uranium hexafluoride by sparging with fluorine. The uranium hexafluoride product is purified and decontaminated by fractional distillation. Additional corrosion tests were made on a variety of metals in an effort to find a material of construction suitable for the fluorination step. All the metals tested, with the exception of Hastelloy B, were attacked rapidly in the fluorinated melt. The attack was particularly severe at the melt-gas interface when tests were made with partially submerged specimens of the metals.

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing two-phase flow studies that were conducted "to obtain empirical density relationships and pressure drop friction factors for two-phase mixtures" (p. 11). This report includes tables, illustrations, and photographs.

From Abstract: "Investigations were made of alternate methods of bonding fuel shapes and the use of alternate core alloys in flat plates. Alternations and additions were made to development facilities needed to fabricate roll-clad plates for the EBWR core. Pilot production of EWBR-type plates proved that the plate cladding process could be adapted to production facilities."

Report issued by the Argonne National Laboratory discussing the variety of work done at the laboratory during the year of 1958. This report includes tables, illustrations, and photographs.

Report discussing possible hazards and preliminary safeguards for a 20-megawatt Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR) power plant

Development work continued on a fused salt process for the recovery of uranium from zirconium-matrix fuel alloys. The fuel is dissolved in a sodium fluoride-zirconium fluoride melt at 600°C by hydrogen fluoride sparging. The melt is then sparged with fluorine gas which volatilizes the dissolved uranium as the hexafluoride. The final decontamination and purification of the uranium hexafluoride are accomplished by fractional distillation. The testing of graphite as a container material for the hydrofluorination step was continued. Additional thermal cycling experiments were performed, using a helium sparge in equimolar sodium fluoride-zirconium fluoride melt at 600°C. The extent of penetration of the fused salt into the graphite was determined. No mechanical degradation was present. Dimensional change data were also obtained for graphite vessels in which the fused salt was sparged with hydrogen fluoride.

Report concerning the design of the magnetic jack, which is a "hermetically sealed, step-motion linear motor which satisfies the need for a reliable, low-cost, nuclear reactor control rod drive." (p. 5)

Ore concentrates have been converted directly to crude uranium tetrafluoride by hydrogen reduction and hydrofluorination in fluidized-bed reactors. Small-scale laboratory experiments demonstrated that this process can be extended to the production of crude uranium hexafluoride through fluorination of the uranium tetrafluoride in a fluidized bed. The satisfactory temperature range for the reaction lies between 300°C and 600°C. At 450°C the fluorine utilization is between 50 and 80 per cent. With excess fluorine, over 99 per cent of the uranium is volatilized from the solid material. The fluidization characteristics of certain materials are improved by the addition of an inert solid diluent to the bed.

The feasibility of the coated metal crucible as a container for eutectic Al-Si alloy has been proven by test. Small, enamel-coated cast iron pots has been proven by test. Small, enamel-coated cast iron pots have successfully withstood the chemically aggressive Al-Si alloy and the adverse influence of an oxidizing atmosphere for a period of 3 months at 725°C. A similarly coated castiron crucible containing 450 pounds of eutectic Al-Si alloy was successfully tested for 144 days in a jacketing operation conducted at 595°-650°C. Under the same conditions, the normal service life of clay-bonded graphite and silicon carbide crucibles rarely exceeds 45 days. The coating material is a commercially available enamel capable of withstanding temperatures up to 790°C (1450°F). It is readily applied to the surface of a variety of ferrous metals and alloys; however, best results are obtained with alloys low in chromium and nickel which also have a low thermal expansion coefficient.

From Introduction: "This report presents the specific design requirements arising from these initial decisions, followed by description and keyed illustrations of the various features of the installation. The Bausch and Lomb Research Metallograph was the instrument chosen as being most readily adapted to the over-all plan."

From Introduction: "Descriptions of the functional requirements of the facility, together with preliminary concepts of methods for meeting them, are presented in this prospectus."

A fused fluoride process for dissolution of zirconium-uranium fuel alloys is being developed. The alloy is dissolved in an equimolar sodium fluoride-zirconium fluoride melt at 600°C by sparging the system with hydrogen fluoride. The uranium is volatilized from the melt as the hexafluoride by a sparging operation with fluorine or bromine pentafluoride vapor. This product is then decontaminated and purified by fractional distillation.