Equilibrium krypton and xenon adsorption isotherms were obtained for four varieties of charcoal and for Linde Molecular Sieves Types 4A and 5A, generally at 0, 25, and 60°c. Such data are of interest in connection with design and evaluation of adsorbers for radioactive noble gas fission products. The isotherms were fitted, by linear regression analysis, to straight-line forms of the Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The Freundlich linear equation gave the better fit and the parameters of this equation are presented for each of the isotherms. Also presented are the constants for an equation representing the temperature dependence of arbitrary adsorption coefficients, the coefficients having been calculated from the Freundlich isotherm parameters. Some aspects of the applicability and accuracy of these results are discussed.

A short-term study was made to investigate the removal of radioiodine vapor from air-steam mixtures as could occur immediately following a nuclear incident in a pressurized water reactor. Activated charcoal traps, designed to simulate a small section of a commercial charcoal canister, were tested at gas velocities of 23.9 to 74.9 ft/min over the temperature range of 75 to 118°C. The iodine removal efficiency was found to range from 99.80 to 99.4% with an average of 99.9%. One test performed at a temperature of 105°C and with gas velocity of 290 ft/min indicated that the iodine removal efficiency was reduced to 99.54%. Activated charcoal exhibits a high efficiency for iodine vapor removal under these test conditions and appears suitable for application in the decontamination of air-steam mixtures.

Some results have been obtained which may be of use in studying the escape of fission fragments from slurry particles which contain fissioning material. Assuming that the fission fragments are of fixed range H, that they are generated uniformly and isotopically in a sphere of diameter D, the escape probability , mean path length, and path length distribution function have been derived.

A development program is being carried out in the pilot plant to improve the equipment involved in monitoring, metering and pumping process streams. The equipment under development includes an alpha monitor, a gamma monitor, a waste water monitor, a liquid flow rate meter, a canned rotor pump, a diaphragm pump, air lifts and a pressure tank pump. This report presents the present status of the testing program.

The general solution to the basic differential equation d^4w/dy^4 +4w= -4f(y) is transformed from the primary form treated in most texts to an alternate form in which each integration constant corresponds to one edge condition at y=0. The relationships between the integration constants of the two forms are derived and the values for the transformed functions are tabulated. The particular solution is derived in general and given in unique form for various functional forms of f(y). Matrix notation is used throughout the derivations; however, a knowledge of matrix theory is not need for application of the results.