This memorandum presents the process design for the solvent reast area of the Feed Materials Production Center. The purpose ofthe transmittal is to provide the basis for the detailed mechanical design and layout of this section of the refinery. Drawings, flowsheets, and specifications are included.

This quarterly progress report discusses topics of research and experimentation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, radio-organic chemistry, chemistry of separations processes, chemical physics, radiation chemistry, chemistry of the solid state, instrumentation, reactor chemistry.

Summary: Purpose of the investigation is to improve the peripheral welding of the brazed joint at the top of aluminum-sheathed fuel slugs by forming the can over the top of the cap and welding the resulting center opening. This investigation looked at the applicability of the inert-gas-shielded, consumable electrode process, using commercially available equipment, for producing a weld closure in spun-over fuel cans. Using commercially available sigma welding equipment, no practical combination of welding conditions was found which resulted in satisfactory leak-tight closures in spun-over canned fuel slugs. It is recommended that plug welding of spun-over closures by the sigma welding process be dismissed from consideration for start-up at the Savannah River Plant.

The first part of this quarterly progress report details reactor theory and design, discussing the aircraft reactor experiment, experimental reactor engineering, reactor physics, and critical experiments. The second part of this report is not included. The third part of this quarterly progress report details materials research, discussing corrosion research, physical properties and heat-transfer research, metallurgy and ceramics, chemistry of high-temperature liquids, and radiation damage. The fourth part of this quarterly progress report details alternate systems, discussing a supercritical water reactor, circulating-moderator-coolant reactors. The fifth part of this quarterly progress report includes appendixes.

Technical report presenting the results of a study of the AEC thorium production facilities at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. Operating procedures, descriptions of equipment and a production cost analysis have been included in this study.

This quarterly progress report details the ongoing research and experiments at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project. The first part of this report discusses reactor theory and design. The second part of this report is not included. The third part of this report discusses materials research. The fourth part of this report includes appendixes

This quarterly progress report discusses ongoing research and experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Metallurgy Division. This report discusses thorium research, the mechanical properties of metals including thorium, uranium, inconel, and z-nickel, the ANP program (including the following topics: the physical chemistry of liquid metals, and welding research), and the materials testing reactor program.

This report discusses what effects the shift of an orbital axis relative to the center of the table-top stellarator tube as well as the magnitude of these effects.

From abstract: "The methods of applying results of bulk-shielding measurements to the design of reactor shields is outlined. Geometrical transformations for the more common shapes are derived, as are approximate means of calculating leakage of radiation. As an illustration of the methods, the ORNL Lid Tanks and Bulk Shielding Facility data are transformed to a standard geometry and compared. Two direct calculations of water attenuation, using cross sections described in the previous article, are finally compared with the experimental data."

The following report describe the effect of plasma oscillations using a table-top model and the probable magnitude of the quantities needed to reach complete ionization.

Abstract: "The mechanical properties of a large number of zirconium alloys have been investigated. These alloys include zirconium-tin and zirconium-tin-uranium. Tensile tests have been run on these alloys at room temperature, 500 F, and 600 F. Hot-hardness data have been obtained from room temperature to 1600 F, with particular emphasis on the hot-rolling range. Creep tests and fatigue tests have been run on a number of zirconium-tin alloys at 500 F."

Abstract: "The mechanical properties of a large number of zirconium alloys have been investigated. These alloys include zirconium-tin and zirconium-tin-uranium. Tensile tests have been run on these alloys at room temperature, 500 F, and 600 F. Hot-hardness data have been obtained from room temperature to 1600 F, with particular emphasis on the hot-rolling range. Creep tests and fatigue tests have been run on a number of zirconium-tin alloys at 500 F."

The following report introduces the aquadag, a part of the stellarator with the purposes to prevent the non-uniform accumulation of electrostatic charges on the walls of the stellerator and to free the electrons of the stellerator and provide accelerations, achieving a uniform field distribution.

An improved method for the determination of boron in plutonium is reported. Precipitation of plutonium (III) acid oxalate prior to color development with curcumin results in increased precision, greater speed, and lower costs. Results are presented of a statistical study involving all variables.

Abstract: "The ductility of Type 310 stainless steel T-joints brazed with GE-62 brazing alloy was measured at room temperatures 1200, 1650, and 1800 F. The measure of ductility was taken as the plastic axial strain required to crack braze fillets in T-section tensile specimens. At elevated temperatures, the ductility of as-brazed joints approximated that of the stainless steel, but at room temperature the brazed joints had only one-tenth the ductility of the base metal. Annealing for 16 hr at 1800 F in air was found to triple the room-temperature ductility of the brazed joint."

This report follows a preliminary study on uranium migration in pressed and sintered UO2-bearing bodies based on MoSi2 or Al2O3.

Five continuous coatings were produced on zirconium coupons using an anodizing technique. These layers appear to be quite adherent and not subject to visible or audible failure caused by flaxion of the basis metal, Their abrasion resistance, though not investigated thoroughly, appears to be moderately good.

A report intended to aid in the evaluation of solid-state bonding techniques for cladding natural-uranium fuel-element cores with aluminum, tensile specimens which are 1/4 in. in diameter and 3 in. long.

In studies of the fabrication of fuel subassemblies for the supercritical-water reactor, the limited ductility of stainless steel-UO₂ fuel sheet made the fabrication of corrugated-flat-plate-type subassemblies impractical. A fabricable MTR-type assembly, 5/8 in. square and 30 in. long, was developed. Methods for edge cladding fuel sheet were developed and a brazing alloy, GE-75, was found to be corrosion resistant in supercritical water.

Abstract: "Thirty-four uranium ingots containing controlled amounts of carbon, nitrogen, and Mgl2 slag were cast, rolled, and examined to investigate the relation between these impurities and the quality of the rolled rod. Carbon in concentrations up to 1400 ppm and nitrogen up to 170 ppm, either singly or in combination, had no significant effect on the number of defects observed in the rolled rod. The quality of the rods, however decreased with increasing amount of slag necessary to cause observable differences in the rod could not be detected on analysis, but was visible in the microstructure."

Abstract: "Probes were used to measure certain properties of the cloud of positive ions and electrons ejected from a pulsed ion source having two hydrogen-loaded electrodes. Time-of-flight measurements show: the presence of H+ ions with 50 ev directed energy; an increase of this energy with increasing pulse current in the source; a higher peak yield of ions with higher peak currents in the source; and higher yields and higher ion energies up to 110 ev have been recorded with the use of a pulsed magnetic field impressed upon the source. The neutral positive ion-electron beam from the source has been projected against an increasing magnetic field and the reflected and transmitted signals have been recorded and compared as a function of the magnetic field. Probe signals from the plasma as it encounters the magnetic field are oscillatory, suggesting that magnetohydrodynamic phenomena are presented."

Introduction: "Prior analyses of a plasma in a magnetic field have been limited, as far as the writer is aware, to cases in which the relative change in field over the orbital distance and the relative change in ion concentration are both small, or in which the relations have been viewed in a purely hydrodynamical way. The first approach excludes cases which can be of considerable interests, for it fails near a plasma edge. The second loses all sight of the structure imposed by the orbital motions."

The following report investigates the possible use of thermal emf's to produce the plasma-containing magnetic field in a thermonuclear reactor.

From abstract: "Some mechanical properties of uranium joined to uranium by means of sinter welding described. The types of uranium investigated were powdered and cast material. Comparison of results obtained by the testing of the whole and joined material are presented. Although the joined material to date does not possess strength of the whole material, the results are promising. Work is continuing."