The rapid development of the field of atomic energy during the past few years now permits the exploration of applications to medicine involving new concepts in the treatment of cancer. One such has been the study of neutron capture therapy which is being developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The so-called Fluoride Volatility Processes refer to several proposed non-aqueous methods of processing irradiated fuel elements. In each of these methods, the uranium is fluorinated to uranium hexafluoride and then decontaminated by distillation. One of the methods, involving direct fluorination of the uranium by bromine trifluoride, has been under investigation at BNL since 1950; subsequently a pilot plant was built to study this step of the process. The objectives of the program were to investigate the technical feasibility of continuous dissolution, and to determine the effect of process variables on the capacity of the equipment; namely the effect of temperature, solution composition, flow rate, and uranium history on dissolving time as related to fuel elements of the types used at BNL, ORNL, and Hanford. The nominal capacity of the dissolver was five pounds of uranium per hour and all process equipment was fabricated of Monel. Special equipment components and numerous safety features were utilized. The major equipment development was a canned-rotor pump used for circulation of the dissolver stream through the heat exchanger. A system for continually charging slugs to the pressurized dissolver was also developed. Operation consisted of batch runs which were made with unirradiated BNL slugs in order …