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Cesium Recovery from Ores. Adaptation of the phenol extraction (Phenex) process to the recovery of cesium from ore leach liquors continued to show promise. In roast-leach tests, 98 to 99% of the cesium was dissolved from pollucite ore by roasting the ore at 800 deg C with 1.8 parts of Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ plus 1.2 parts of NaCl and leaching with water. More than 99% of the cesium was recovered from the leach liquor and separated from other alkali metals by extracting with 4-sec-butyl-2-( alpha -methylbenzyl)phenol (BAMBP) in diisopropylbenzene and stripping with hydrochloric acid. Santophen-1 also extracted cesium effectively, but, because of the limited solubility of the cesiumSantophen-1 complex in the diluent, the utility of this phenol in ore processing is questionable. Separation of Alkali Metals. The extraction and separation of alkali metals from nitrate solutions was studied with several different types of extractants, including substituted phenols, alkylphosphoric acids, sulfonic acids, carboxylic acids, and mixtures of some of these. With all of these reagents, cesium was extracted more strongly than rubidium, which in turn was extracted more strongly than the other alkali metals. Separation factors were higher with the phenols than with the other extractants. Acid Recovery by Amine Extraction. …

A description is given of the process and equipment for the continuous conversion of plutonium nitrate to tetrafluoride powder for reduction to Pu metal. The conversion involves oxalate precipitation, filtration, calcination, and hydrofluorination. Typical results are described; the product is a free-flowing PuF/sub 4/ with a high degree of separation from impurities. (D.L.C.)

A description of the digital readout and drive portion of the Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility II is presented along with the philosophy used in selecting the system block diagram and components, accuracy considerations, and a preliminary evaluation of performance and usability. The presentation discourages duplicating of the equipment; advantage should be taken of the opportunity to improve upon it. To this end guideposts are provided as well as a documentation of those aspects of the design that are considered worthy of duplication. (auth)

An evaluation under simulated Pathfinder reactor operating conditions of a prototype Pathfinder control rod drive (described) indicated that the unit will perform satisfactorily under all Pathfinder operating conditions. Tests were performed on individual components of the drive and on the assembled drive. (D.C.W.)

Progress in fuels and materials development is reported. Irradiation tests on powdered UAl/sub 3/ intermetallic compounds demonstrated good stability and fission gas retention capabilities. Developmental aluminum powder metal products showed good corrosion resistance at high temperatures while retaining excellent high temperature strength. All of the fuel compositions tested (UO/sub 2/, U/sub 3/O/sub 8/, and UAl/sub 3/ in aluminum matrices) exhibited density decreases under irradiation. Tensile tests on sandwich-type fuel plates at elevated temperatures indicated that the fuel plate strength is strongly influenced by the core material rather than dependent primarily on the cladding material as was found true of lower (MTR) temperatures. Three capsules containing beryllium were inserted in the ETR, in order to determine strength, gas release, and growth during a high-temperature (600--800 deg C) irradiation. An MTR fuel element employing advanced metallurgical techniques to optimize the hydraulic and heat transfer characteristics was fuily irradiated in the MTR. The fuel element consisted of 32 plates containing 250 g U/sup 235/ in a U/sub 3/O/ sub 8/--Al dispersion. A prototype ETR fuel element was made without side plates. (M.C.G.)

The new sector-focused cyclotrons have more energetic and better focused beams at the extraction radius than do ordinary cyclotrons. While the first characteristic requires a more intense electric field, the second permits this field to extend over a smaller volume. By tailoring the electrode geometry to these characteristics of the beam, the required deflector gap and electrode surface become smaller, and a higher gradient can be held without sparking. A different compromise between radioactivity, power dissipation, and resistance to spark damage must be made in selecting electrode materials. Carefully designed electrostatic deflectors perform very well in sector-focused cyclotrons of intermediate energy. Deflector efficiencies of about 50% and external-beam intensities of 20 {micro}A have been obtained in the Lawrence Laboratory's 88 -Inch Cyclotron.

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The main purpose of this report are to provide 1) a reference source for the interchange of analog engine model information with AGC, and 2) a reference point for future WANL analog model development. Being a model status report, the present state of the models are presents.

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Declassified 6 Sep 1973. Information ia preaented concerning LCRE fuel, components, primary and refiector system, instrumentation, reactor materials; and SNAP-50/SPUR specifications, shielding, pumps steam generators, and materials. (DCC)

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The basic heat transfer and flow equations applicable to studies of flow oscillations in NERVA engines are first linearized, then expressed as difference-differential approximations, and finally written in a form suitable for analog computer solution. Block diagrams are presented which illustrate on analog procedure for solving the linearized, difference-differential equations.

A detailed examination was made of one of three plutonium-238 fueled SNAP 3 heat sources which was shipped from Mound Laboratory in May 1961 and returned in May 1963,. Examination of source included radiography, calorimetry, dimensional inspection, radiation measurements, internal pressure measurements, metallographic examinations of the containers, and recovery and impurity analysis of the plutonium fuel. Results showed that the inner tantalum container of the source failed at the weld, allowing the plutonium to the escape and to attack the Haynes Alloy 25 outer container. Failure at the weld was attributed to the fact that the plutonium had become molten at some time during its use and to poor welding of the liner during fabrication of the source, and not to corrosion of plutonium on the tantalum. It was concluded that tantalum is a satisfactory container material for plutonium at temperature below the melting point of plutonium (640°C).

The status of radioactive contamination of the Clinch and Tennessee River systems from Nov. 1961 to April 1962 is reviewed. Data are included from studies on the fate of radioactive materials discharged to the Clinch River by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the mechanisms of dispersion of radionuclides released to the river, the direct and indirect hazards of waste disposal practices during the period, an evaluation of the over-all usefulness of this river for radioactive disposal purposes, and an evaluation of long-term monitoring procedures. The management of liquid wastes at ORNL is discussed and results are reported from studies on the accumulation and movement of radionuclides in White Oak Creek basin, the contamination of river biota, hydrologic measurements and analyses, measurements of radioactivity in the river system and in community water systems downstream from the Clinch River, and calculation of estimated radiation dosages from drinking Clinch River and Tennessee River water or immersion in the water at various downstream points. Results are included from a preimpoundment study of ecological conditions of Melton Hill Lake and estimates of the effects of Melton Hill Lake and power releases from Melton Hill Dam on hydrologic conditions in the river system. (C.H.)

Two long-term test cells were fabricated and tested. One was loaded with a 30 UC--70 ZrC sample and the other with a 90 UC--10 ZrC samrple. The rates of vaporization of these samaples in vacuum were determined both in the absence and in the presence of a Ni anode maintained at 983 deg K with an electrode spacirig of 20 mils, hr order to set the baseline values. Measurement of the rates of vaporization of these samples under these conditions in the presence of Cs vapor at a pressure of about 1.8 torr are in preparation and will be continued for 1000 hr. Operation of the first test cell, containing the 90 UC- -10 ZrC emitter, was terminated after 510 hr because of leakage through a faulty metal gasket sealing the electron-gun compartment. The second test cell, containing a vapor-deposited W-clad UC emitter, was assembled and operated for a period of 111 hr. The test was terminated because a leak developed between the cell compartment and the electron-gun compartment. A control cell containing a solid W emitter is being assembled to check the modifications made in the design of the electron-gun channber and the filament in order to overcome such …

A system of six codes is described that permits the solution of a broad class of problems encountered in the study of neutron thermalization, average cross sections, and spectral models. These programs are all compatible with use on MONITOR for the IBM 7090. The Fortran listings are given. (auth)

A road test, performed on a SNAP 10A mass mockup system, indicated that shock and vibration inputs under actual conditions were not excessive. During the course of travel from the Santa Susana field laboratory to Edwards Air Force Base, and during field trials at Santa Susana, the test system was subjected to only two accelerations exceeding 2 g, and no inputs exceeded 2.4 g. It was concluded that shock and vibration to SNAP systems from highway transporation can be adequately controlled by: selecting the appropriate vehicie, providing proper packaging; specifying route and speed limits for various driving conditions; using ordinary care in loading and unloading; and including suitable shock monitoring instruments with the shipment, (P.C.H.)

A transfer function for d-c operational amplifiers with generalized input and feed-back networks is derived by application of network theory. This transfer function, more general than others in common use, applies to three and four-terminal networks. It contains, as a special case, the well-known transfer function for d-c operational amplifiers with two-terminal networks. Examples are given. (auth)

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A type of precision measuring instrument, a flying spot digitizer, for the analysis of bubble chamber data is described. When the flying spot encounters a bubble image, it is attenuated typically 25 to 75% depending on the directness of hit and the bubble chamber photographic and operating parameters. The width of the bell-shaped attenuation curve is approximates the sum of the spot and bubble image diameters, or 40 to 50 mu . The high precision of the FSD derives from the fact that it is possible to find the center of area of the attenuation curve to a standard deviation of 3 to 4 mu out of the much larger full-width at the base. Each flying spot coordinate is of a precision approximates equal to that given by a measuring projector, but typically 16 flying spot points are obtained to one measuring-projector point, so that the effective error is only 1/4 as large. The digital electronics problem associated with a flying spot digitizer is basically the trapping of the grating count at the time a bubble image center is found, the storage of the number temporarily until the computer is free, and then the transmission of the coordinate to the …

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