Cemets are attractive as fuel for nuclear reactors because of their relatively high thermal conductivity and their apparent ability to withstand very high temperatures for prolonged periods of time. A number of cermet fuel specimens have been successfully irradiated at temperatures greater than 2000 C for periods of up to six weeks. Two cermet fuel plates described herein have successfully operated, in the snout facility, at {approximately}3000 C for four hours each. This continuation of the program for twelve more capsules is to investigate the diffusion characteristics of UO{sub 2} and fission products from the tungsten matrix and to study the dimensional stability of the system. The in-reactor test described in this report and in conjunction with extensive out-of-reactor studies will provide a firm basis for building cermet fuel technology.

This report addresses the comments of Westinghouse-Astronuclear Lunar Base Study.

The smallmouth buffalo fish, Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque), population of Watts Bar Reservoir, of the Tennessee River down stream from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was investigated in order to describe its age distribution, growth rates, dispersion, and importance as an accumulator of radionuclides. Measurements and scale samples were taken from commercially-caught fish and fish caught in the ORNL tagging operations. Scale impressions were anaiyzed for age and growth phenomena. Dispersion of smallmouth buffalo was investigated by conventional of ging methods and by autoradiographic analyses of scales. Stable and radiochemicsl composition of scales was examined by spectrographic analysis, flame spectrophotometer and radiometric surveys. Calcium was the most abundance element in fish scales with at lease twenty-three other elements present in varying quantities. Fish scaless and bone were found to contain radionuclides of ruthenium, cesium, zirconium, zinc, and cobalt. Radiometric surveys of scales revealed the Watts Bar Reservoir smallmouth buffalo population was a relatively minor accumulator of radionuclides with only 0.08 per cent showing the presence of artificially produced radionuclides. Approximately 6 per cent of the Clinch River fish and 77 per cent of the White Oak Creek fish had accumulations. Limited data on dispersion were determined from conventional tags. Much more dispersion …

The costs of the chemical and metallurgical steps in the fuel cycle for large desalination reactors are estimated. Both capital and operating costs are presented at varying plant capacities for a Zircaloy-clad fuel element containing depleted uranium and recycled plutonium as the oxides. UO/sup 2/-0.5% PuO/sub 2/. The chemical steps are reported at throughputs of 1, 10, and 30 short tons of uranium per day; and the metallurgical or fabrication step at throughputs of 1, 3, 5, and 10 tons per day, as specified by the Office of Science and Technology. The total estimated cost of all the chemical and metallurgical steps drops from .17 to .68 per kilogram of uranium as the cycle throughput is increased from 1 to 10 tons of uranium per day. All steps decrease in cost as plant capacity is increased, with the most impressive decrease in the irradiated assembly processing step, which decreases from .19 to 10 to 07 per kilogram of uranium as throughput is changed from 1 to 10 to 30 tons of uranium per day. The contained data in conjunction with previous studies of a natural uranium fuel cycle and results of a current reactor optimization study will yield complete fuel …

Report containing the estimated costs of the chemical and metallurgical steps in plutonium recycling for large desalination reactors.