Summary: A method was found for determining calcium concentrations in TBP process streams in spite of serious interferences bysodium, ferrous, uranyl, sulfate, phosphate, and sulfamate ions as well as by TBP. The precision attainable varied from sample to sample, depending upon its composition. In general, errors of 20% or greater occurred. The smallest determinable amount of calcium was about 10 mg/1.

From introduction: The present report describes further refinements of the apparatus and the method to meet a need for a sensitive determination of carbon in plutonium.

The monocarbide and the mononitride of uranium are potentially useful ceramic nuclear fuel materials. This paper reports the results of exploratory investigations of the reactions of uranium monocarbide and uranium mononitride with boiling water. Uranium dioxide, chemically stable in deoxygenated boiling water, was used as a control.

The following documents are progress reports that follow chemical research studies in subjects such as ruthenium tetroxile distillations, extraction-scrub studies of zirconium and niobium, and oxidation of plutonium and stabilization of plutonium(VI) during extraction of IAF solutions.

Report describing the methods, discrepancies, accuracy of methods, and conclusions of two different analytical methods of spectrochemical analysis of plutionium.

It is anticipated that neptunium will be recovered in the Purex process by solvent extraction or ion exchange methods as a nitric acid solution of greater than 0.1 g. Np/1 and containing varying amounts of fission products, plutonium, uranium, and thorium, including Th234 (UX1). At the present time this solution is thermally concentrated in the Purex L-cell package to several grams of neptunium per liter. In this operation the solution is contaminated rather badly with plutonium and stainless steel corrosion products. The present specifications are for the neptunium final product to contain less than 0.1 weight percent plutonium, to be relatively free of gross metallic contaminates, and to be low enough in fission product game activity and Th234-Pa234 (UX1-UX2) beta activity to be handled without resorting to remote techniques.

From abstract: "The chemical analyses of graphite test bars obtained from National Carbon Company and the analyses performed by the Hanford Works Laboratories Division do not correlate significantly with the test pile results, nor do the chemical analyses obtained from National Carbon Company agree with those done in the Handford Works Laboratories. Chemical results obtained at Hanford on samples taken lengthwise from individual bars correlated significantly with the individual test pile results."

The following report provides the results of laboratory corrosion tests held to investigate the behavior of austenitic stainless steel, Type 347, in selected O.R.N.L. #1 Redox streams.

Introduction: "Room temperature and elevated temperature, static immersion and vapor suspicion, corrosion tests were conducted with Duriron, Hastelloy C, and tantalum in hydriotic acid and 234-5 project process supernatant solution (synthetic environments. The data relevant to these tests are contained herein."

Chain reacting conditions for plutonium nitrate in water solution have been examined experimentally for a variety of sizes of spheres and cylinders.

The preceding report follows an extensive study made at Hanford of methods and equipment to remove effectively the dissolver vent gases.

The purpose of this procedure is to present a detailed, chronological presentation of the preliminary decontamination and post decontamination steps necessary to fulfill the requirements of the Production Test Authorization IP-239-N. The procedure attempts to present the required operation in sufficient detail to successfully accomplish the intent of the test. Certain procedures involve operations of a standard nature and have not been elaborated upon to any great extent, as it is expected that the reactor operations and radiation monitoring personnel will implement these instructions according to standard operating procedures.

Introduction: "The adoption of aluminum nitrate as salting agent in the Redox process made it imperative that a method be available for determining plutonium in the presence of aluminum. However, large amounts of aluminum have been found to interfere with the determination of plutonium by the lanthanum fluoride procedure. Previous attempts to increase the accuracy of the lanthanum fluoride method, by precipitating LaF3 from 4 M HF (rather than 2 M), have been successful only when the initial plutonium level was high."

With the development of the zircaloy-2 clad uranium fuel element, it was necessary to develop a method of closing the end of the element after the extruded tubes were cut to the desired length. Regardless of the ultimate design of the closure, a satisfactory zircaloy-2 fusion welding technique had to be worked out. The first fully successful welding was performed with electron beam welding in a vacuum chamber. To make satisfactory welds, the electron beam welding involved time and equipment, plus undue maintenance on the equipment.

Abstract: "Diameter measurements of 25 slugs taken before and after a prolonged heat treatment showed no evidence of differences that would indicate blistering. The average effects of the treatment was different for the various slugs. Large differences in diameter measurements between slugs. Large differences in diameter between slugs and significant differences between indices and positions were found."

Operating plant experiences in restoring to useful service failed equipment contaminated through exposures to radioactive processes is of international interest to the nuclear industry. In accordance with a request from the Hanford Operations Office of the United States Atomic Energy Commission this report of the various measures taken in rehabilitating for re-use expensive engineered equipment has been compiled by the General Electric Company. This report is a review and summary of the disposition of contaminated major processing equipment at Hanford Atomic Products Operation during 1958-1959 and a listing of 1) equipment buried, 2) equipment stored, to be buried or decontaminated, and 3) equipment decontaminated and returned to service.

PuO2-UO2 Irradiation Capsules. Four capsules of Zircaloy-clad, sintered PuO2-UO2 mixed crystal oxides in a UO2 matrix are awaiting irradiation in the NTR.

The following report follows a test for remelting and casting uranium scrap specified that a pressure of 25 microns or less must be attained within the furnace before a charge is melted. The report was made to evaluate the effect of furnace pressures upon the quality if recast uranium metal.

Several failures have occurred in reduction bombs used in metal production operations. A test program is being initiated to evaluate new metals for the construction of the bomb. In the test program, a tensile specimen is cycled through temperatures simulating operating temperatures, and the time to rupture is recorded in order to estimate the life in operation of a reduction bomb made with the candidate metal. In order to find the worst stress condition, the compressive, hoop, and bending stresses must be considered.

Although the corrosion of resistance of Zircaloy--2 clad fuel elements in high temperature water is excellent, some concern has been expressed in regard to the resistance against fretting corrosion. Since this form of corrosion can proceed quite rapidly it could induce fuel element failure through penetration of the cladding. Fretting corrosion if it occurred, would take place either where the fuel element contacted the process tube or where portions of the fuel element contacted each other, e. g. wire-wrapping around a cluster of cylindrical fuel rods. This form of corrosion is defined as corrosion occurring at contact areas and as such, fretting of Zircaloy-2 could take place in many reactor concepts. This report details the results of testing performed to induce fretting corrosion of Zircaloy-2 and the direction of the future tests.

Report discussing the evaluation of the "behavior of austenitic and ferritic stainless steels, iron-chromium-aluminum base alloys and nickel-base superalloys, in medium and high temperature simulated reactor environments" (p. 2).

Pursuant to Dr. Kingdon's request for specific information concerning the donut pictured on pages 26-29 of WAPD-64, a close examination of this defect on Failure No. 14 was made. The slug was examined through 10 inches of Pb-glass and photographs were made. A clay impression of the surface area containing the donut was obtained, and using this impression, an Armstrong's Adhesive replica of this can wall surface area was cast.

Previously, W. S. Figg and T. W. Ambrose (HW-51767 Rev) have investigated the problem of flow decay following electrical power loss to the PRTR primary coolant pumps. However, since the time of their study many reactor piping changes have been made in the design; therefore, it has become advisable to re-examine the problem incorporating these changes.

From abstract: "The purpose of this investigation was to establish basic rates of formation of chemical films deposited on aluminum surfaces from water flowing over such surfaces. It was desired to obtain specific information, within certain ranges, as to the influence of temperature, water velocity, and type of aluminum on the rate of film formation."