The object of this study was to determine the effects of several annealing treatments and aging treatments on the tensile test behavior of Zircaloy-3b.

The objective is to establish, from test results, the relationship between pressure loss and orifice configuration, mass rate, and steam quality, for a Fuel Cycle fuel assembly.

The Redox process uses or produces only a very few materials that are hazardous for reasons other than radioactivity. The conditions under which these materials become hazardous were carefully taken into consideration in the development of the process and design of the equipment. A considerable about of information on the hazardous properties of the process materials was obtained so that the pertinent material could be incorporated into the process specifications. Providing the equipment is operating properly and the process is being carried out within specification limits, no hazardous conditions can be created by the process. The purpose of this report is to assemble in a single, readily available document all of the information on the normal concentration limits and safe handling procedures needed to adequately control the use and storage of these materials. This report should be helpful in preparing safety bulletins and provide guidance in case of unusual incidents, malfunctioning of equipment, or contemplated changes in either the process or equipment. It is important to remember that a maximum allowable concentration (MAC) is only a limit on the concentration of a toxic material which cannot be exceeded in the air to which workers are constantly exposed to every working …

Diffusion in an arc plasma across a magnetic field is investigated. The geometry is similar to that reported in ORNL-1890 but with the addition of magnetic mirrors on the ends of the arc chamber. It is shown that mirrors do not eliminate the "short circuit" effect. Comparison of the e-folding length, rₒ, of the radial ion density with and without mirrors, affords a direct measurement of ℓ/λ where ℓ is the arc length and λ the mean-free-path. In addition rₒ is independent of gas pressure with mirrors and varies as √p without mirrors. The condition for the elimination of the "short circuit" effect is discussed, as well as the case in which the "short circuit" is still present but the ions diffuse (rather than stream) to the end walls. In this case rₒ is directly proportional to the gas pressure. These effects are compared to some experimental results of Neidigh

A direct titrimetric method for the determination of trivalent uranium in uranium trifluoride and mixtures of fused fluoride salts was developed. The method is based on the stoichiometric oxidation of trivalent uranium to the tetravalent oxidation state with an acidic solution of methylene blue. The sample containing trivalent uranium is dissolved at room temperature in an excess of standard methylene blue solution in a carbon dioxide atmosphere; the excess oxidant is variation of the method is 1.5 per cent for 5 mg quantities of trivalent uranium. The method was applied to various mixtures of fluoride salts containing both trivalent and tetravalent uranium.

Soil chemistry studies have been carried on at Hanford for a number of years in support of the disposal of low and intermediate level liquid wastes to the ground. Equilibrium type experiments were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of the reactions of Sr, Cs, and rare earth ions with soils (1, 3, 4, 5). Experiments were also conducted with simulated and actual wastes in soil columns and an empirical method was developed for prediction of radionuclide breakthrough from ground disposal facilities into ground water on the basis of short, laboratory soil columns and equilibrium experiments (6,7). In this method it is assumed that the shape and position of the breakthrough curve is the same under laboratory conditions as in the larger scale field case. It is also assumed that the "column volume" or amount of soil effectively used for fission product sorption is that directly under a disposal facility without considering any spreading of waste solutions. These assumptions are known to be on the conservative side, but the degree of conservativeness is not known.

An anion exchange precipitation procedure was developed for the determination of Cs¹³⁷ in various aged fission product waste solutions, and other solutions containing Cs¹³⁷. The procedure is based on the ability of an anion exchange column to function simultaneously at an anion exchanger and as a precipitating agent (1).

The design criteria are written to supply information for the preparation of a project proposal covering budget item B-2265 for Fiscal Year 1956. The function of in-line instrumentation installed shall be the rapid on-the-spot analysis of process variables for quick presentation to process operators for immediate action in process control. Alarm or safety circuits may be incorporated on the equipment.

Technical report summarizing one phase of work done to develop methods of bonding uranium to a metal which is a good conductor of heat. Silver was chosen for contact with uranium because it is easy to plate on uranium and there is no danger of brittle Ag-U compounds being formed at elevated temperatures. [From Abstract]

In solving the two-group, two medium equations for neutron diffusion in a finite one-dimensional multiplying system, the equations in each medium can be solved, and the boundary conditions used to determine the coefficients. This direct attack involves eight simultaneous linear equations. The opportunities for error are numerous, and, frequently, a great deal of accuracy is lost by subtractions; hence, it is felt that an alternative method of solution, in which numerical errors would be less likely to occur, would be desirable.

Technical report. From Abstract : "The acidity of a solution of acid, HX, and salt, MX, is affected by both the concentration of X- and M+ owing to incomplete dissociation of the salt, MX. it was possible to increase the acidity of a solution of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol - tetrabutylammonium 2,6-di-tert-butylphenolate relative to a dilute solution of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide by increasing the tetrabutylammonium bromide content. This indicates that the dissociation constant of the hydroxide base is sufficiently large that extensive dissociation occurs in dilute solutions. The addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide is therefore recommended as a general method for increasing the acidity and improving the titration characteristics of extremely weak acids."

The decontamination of portable instruments by the Calibration Unit has presented a problem for some time. Most of the contamination is in the 100 to 500 c/m or 500 to 2000 d/m range. Higher levels of contamination can usually be reduced to these levels, but further cleaning proves quite difficult

From abstract: "In an attempt to gain some insight into the physiological condition of mice surviving massive doses of radiation, a study of their vitality was undertaken. It was assured that the ability of these animals to do forced work would be a measure of their vitality, Stimulating exposed animals to run in exercise wheels to their fullest capacity, has resulted in a demonstration of a striking vitality less during a post-irradiative period, when no other effects are demonstrable by gross examination. Mice subjected to a medium-lethal dose of fast neutrons show a continuous vitality loss over a 300 day period following exposure. Control animals show no appreciable loss of vitality up to about 8 months of age, after which a gradual loss can be noted, probably due to a normal gereologic process."

Abstract: The output signal of a linear accelerator may have a rise time of 1-2 x 10[minus]7 seconds. Therefore, the output of a pulse height selector operating on this signal has a variation of delay from the original signal of about this amount. In the instrument to be described in this technical report this difficulty is largely resolved.

Laboratory studies have shown that the double salt, CaF2-PuF4, can be precipitated by rapid addition of hydro-fluoric acid to solutions containing 25 to 75 g Pu/1, caleium equimolar to plutonium, and 1 to 10 M HNO3. The precipitate, which is subsequently washed with water and dried to 300 degrees C in dehumidified, deoxygenated argon, can be reduced thermally by calcium to give high yields of plutonium metal.

The problem of separation of beams of particles of different masses but of the same momentum at Bev energies is the subject of a great deal of study at several high energy laboratories. In this note we shall describe the problem and tabulate a few of the cogent parameters. Frequently the student of high energy interactions is faced with a beam of miscellaneous particles coming from an accelerator. By standard techniques this beam can be rendered approximately parallel and an inch or so in diameter. By passage through a magnetic field the beam can be analyzed in momentum. Now it frequently happens that the particles in which the experimenter is particularly interested make up only a small fraction of the beam and the exigencies of the proposed experiment may well demand that the background of undesired particles be drastically reduced. The problem is difficult because the velocities of the various particles are almost equal to each other and to the velocity of lights; this makes time-of-flight techniques relatively ineffective. The energies of the particles are almost equal so electrostatic separation also is difficult. Since the beam is already analyzed in momentum, further separation by magnetic means is impossible.

This is a summarizing and reviewing report in which almost all the experimental data representing Project work done prior to 1949 on the corrosion of pure uranium are brought together and analyzed. New data obtained in this laboratory on corrosion rates in laboratory atmosphere and on the identification of corrosion products by electron diffraction are included. The data for corrosion in each of several different media have been plotted according to logarithm-of-the-rate versus reciprocal-temperature coordinates; and from these plots values for the energies and entropies of activation of the corrosion reactions have been obtained. By theoretical treatment of the role of oxygen as a negative catalyst, it is shown that this element may be expected to "poison" the corrosion rection and then act as a corrosion inhibitor. A practical significance of these data analyses is that they explain why machined uranium parts stored in inert atmospheres (helium or argon) containing only very small amounts of water vapor will corrode relatively rapidly with the formation of loose powdery oxide, whereas similar parts may be kept in dry air almost indefinitely with formation on their surface of only a discoloring, but adhered, oxide coating.

The magnetic properties of core materials ae investigated for a pulse width of 30 nanoseconds. Methods of testing which are necessitated by the sort pulse width are explained and the design of the pulser which is capable of 0.2 megawatt peak power is described. The data obtained if evaluated and presented for the various materials which were tested.

A neutron burst from an untamped cylindrical Oy assembly occurred at the Pajarito Remote Control Laboratory at 1800 hours on 18 April 1952. The circumstances causing the burst and a description of the assembly involved are given There was no personnel hazard. Normal operations could have been resumed on other assemblies withing two or three hours after the burst. No evidence of damage to the oy was observed. It was determined that the burst resulted in 1.5 x 10(16) fissions in the oy. Also reported are some results of the computations and post-burst tests and a discussion of probable time behavior of power level during the burst.

This quarterly progress report discusses ongoing work at the Metallurgy Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Topics discussed include thorium research, the preferred orientation of uranium, studies in the ceramics laboratory, the homogenous reactor program, studies in the x-ray laboratory, studies in the metallographic laboratory, the experimental plate-cladding program, and fuel and control element fabrication.

Aid in redesign of the calibration facility in order to: 1. Reduce the rate of exposure for calibration personnel below 1 mr/hr; 2. Reduce the rate of exposure outside of the 3745 Building; 3. Reduce the risk of breaking radium sources; 4. Improve the efficiency of calibration procedures by: a. Allowing calibration to be done faster; b. Providing several calibration ranges which can operate simultaneously in the present space allowed; c. Allowing instrument survey work to proceed while calibration work is done. A well-type calibration installation is proposed and a brief description of the required shielding is included.

Summary of research progress meetings of October 2 and October 9, 1952: High speed high vacuum ion pump, High energy ion irradiation, Space charge accelerator for protons, Availability of the [ ] meson beam at the cyclatron, Effect of chemical structure on stopping powers for high energy protons.

"Additional mixtures of polymers and multi-unsaturated monomers have been prepared, irradiated and the gel content determined. The gel content determination of crosslinked polyolefins has been investigated in detail. The multi-unsaturated monomers used and radiation conditions applied up to this time have not given significant gel contents for polypropylene. the polypropylene resin used has been characterized by differential extraction."

Continued process improvements in the separation plants provide an incentive for economics in waste storage costs by utilizing existing facilities to their maximum capability consistent with the radiological hazards involved. The major improvements have reduced waste volumes resulting in increased fission product concentration and energy potential. Analyses have been made to determine the effect of this change on the integrity of the existing structures.