The chemical processing industry relies heavily on the use of rotary pumps to move massive quantities of liquids. The rotating elements of these pumps, generally of the deep-well turbine type, are submerged in the solution being pumped. This singular factor sometimes imposes a severe limitation on the choice bearings because the liquids are frequently corrosive and have poor lubricity. At the Hanford Atomic Products Operation a further complication arises from the effects of radioactivity in the solutions being transferred. Radiation and temperature can and will cause physical damage to many substances, including certain potential bearing materials such as plastics. These factors, coupled with the economics of remote operation and maintenance, have lead to the need for a test program to screen and evaluate potential bearing and journal materials.

Photographic observations of the behavior of uranium dioxide at high temperatures are of great value in designing and evaluating fuel elements. This paper reports the growth of uranium dioxide crystals by vapor deposition during out-of-reactor and in-reactor experiments.

The purpose of this report is to show the impedance of an approximate equivalent circuit on a complex plan for various constant frequencies and different metals. The equivalent circuit represents a testing coil driven with an AC voltage and a network to represent the impedance of the metal.

A new package type facility for corrosion decontamination studies has been designed and fabricated. This report gives a description, drawings, and comments on its operation. It has been in operation since December, 1958.

Abstract: "The cross section for the Be-9(n, t')Li-7*-->Li-7 + Y(0.477 Mev) reaction has been measured in the vicinity of 14 Mev by detecting the gamma-rays at scattering angles from 30 to 150 degrees. A time-of-flight technique was used to distinguish the gamma-rays from the high neutron background. The cross section drops from 20 mb at 13.6 Mev to 10 mb at 14.1 Mev and then rises to 30 mb at 14.7 Mev."

The radiation hazards associated with recycled nuclear reactor fuels will greatly complicate the handling and refabrication of these fuels. This problem is most serious with U-233 and plutonium fuels where the presence of U-232 and the heavier isotopes of plutonium contribute energetic alpha, gamma, and neutron radiations at levels many times that from isotopically pure U-233 and Pu-239. This report summarizes present knowledge of the radiation hazards associated with recycled fuel and the additional data needed to make a thorough evaluation of these hazards.

A method was developed for the determination of osmium by measuring the absorbancy of osmium tetroxide in CHCl3. The osmium is first oxidized to the octavalent state and the osmium tetroxide which is formed is extracted selectively with CHCl3. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of OsO4 in CHCl3 has a series of absorption bands with peak absorbancies at 282. 289, 297, 304 and 312 mu, and molar absorbancy indices of 1870, 1760, 1640, 1400 and 1000, respectively. For each wavelength the optimum concentration range for the determination of osmium was evaluated by the method of Ringbom. Only chloride and octavalent ruthenium interfere in the determination. By this method, from 0.4, to 3 mg of cesium can be determined with a coefficient of variation of 3 per cent.

Following is a description of what may be an invention in the art of compacting uranium dioxide (UO2) and other ceramic or cermet nuclear fuel materials for ultimate use as reactor fuel elements. Vibration of ceramic fuel materials at the resonant frequency of the metal encasing material, using high rates of acceleration, produces uniformly compacted high-density fuel elements.

Discussing a joint field reconnaissance undertaken for uranium in Spain

Very little information and data are available on the various physical properties of Zircaloy tubing, especially the high temperature- high pressure failure aspects. As greater use is being made of the low cross-sectional properties of this material in the design and development of reactor components, it was considered desirable to determine the type of failure that would be experienced under conditions of a localized over-heating. This hot-spot could be caused by "cocked" or warped fuel elements coming in direct contact with the process tube, thereby preventing adequate cooling media at the particular location.

A Lucite model of a multi-stage countercurrent hydroclone solvent extraction apparatus has been constructed and tested with Amsco-water. The diffusivity of Cs 134 tracer in aqueous chloride solution was measured to check the performance of the capillary diffusivity measuring system. The experimental data from four Druhm runs showed that 1/8in. thick graphite liners are usable for reactor temperatures above the boiling point of sodium.

A commercially available electronic high vacuum pump has bee tested on various types of mass spectrometers used at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Considerable savings in operating and maintenance costs can be realized from the use of this pump. the greatest savings result from the elimination of the cold trap required for the diffusion pump whether it is cooled by liquid nitrogen or by mechanical refrigeration. additional savings results from the fact that the pump currently is usually an adequate indication of the pressure in the spectrometer tube and that a continuously running mechanical fore pump is not required.

The purpose of the test was to determine the direction and magnitude of any drift in the temperature sensing elements and the receiver-indicating units for the primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers. To obtain intercalibration data for various temperature sensing elements in the primary coolant system. To obtain data on the difference between the calculated signal generated by the BF-3 counters, considering the known rate of decay of the PO-BE source, and the measured values. Determination of temperature sensing element and instrumentation drifts could not be made due to a lack of comparative data. Five temperature intercalibrations were performed using the calibrating Tc resistance thermometers as a standard. The data obtained from the nuclear instrumentation was too erratic to form any conclusions.

The purpose of the test was to determine the direction and magnitude of any drift in the temperature sensing elements and the receiver-indicating units for the primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers. To obtain intercalibration data for various temperature sensing elements in the primary coolant system. To obtain data on the difference between the calculated signal generated by the BF-3 counters, considering the known rate of decay of the PO-BE source, and the measured values. Of the 62 core thermocouples observed 19 were either reading less than 400 F or were reading in excess of 20 F from the calibrating thermometer temperatures. In each case the thermocouple was considered defective. The remainder were within 2 per cent of the calibrating thermometers. The primary loop (Norwood Indicators) resistance thermometers all read with 0.2 percent of the calibrating thermometers. No conclusion could be made for the pressurizer temperature instruments or the boiler Tb resistance thermometers, except that the 1A boiler temperature varied 10 F to 20 F from the 1Band 1C boiler temperatures. A laboratory calibration of this instrument will be made. The data obtained from the source range nuclear instrumentation was too erratic to form any conclusion. No drift evaluation on …

The purpose of the test was to determine critical bank heights and bank worths for various rod configurations at ambient temperatures. The critical rod bank position and bank worths for four different control rod bank rod configuration were determined after 5032 EFPH's of operation. The value were corrected to a reactor coolant temperature of 145 F and a pressure of 400 psig. The bank worths were corrected to 145 F so that the results of the performance could be compared with the results of previous performances.

Abstract. Proven mineral resources show that niobium is the most abundant of the refractory metals and extraction capacity is adequate to meet foreseeable requirements. Approximately four tons of Nb-1% Zr alloy were melted, forged, drawn, and rolled to produce various mill forms and relatively large die impression forgings. It was demonstrated that the Nb-1% Zr alloy is readily amenable to melting, primary working, and secondary working using standard equipment available in the specialty steel and nickel alloy industries. In general, the hot malleability of the alloy is significantly better than that of the more refractory nickel base high temperature alloys and is comparable to the stainless steels. Methods were successfully developed to protect the alloy against contamination during hot working. Cold fabricability proved to be outstanding. Reductions up to 90% were achieved during cold rolling of sheet with no intermediate stress relief or annealing treatment. Tube drawing reductions up to 50% were normal with no intermediate annealing. Over-all, the cold workability of this alloy was superior to that of the stainless steels. There was no problem of embrittlement over the full range of working temperatures which were used during the course of this work, namely from room temperature to 2350 …

The current interest in a tube-in-tube type Zircaloy-2 clad UO2 fuel element for use in the power reactors provided the incentive for a study of the dissolution of cladding from an annular space. The objectives of the study were to compare the estimated rate of dissolution in the annuli with rates on fully exposed metal. Because of an interest from the design standpoint, heat balance data from the study are reported.