This phase of the program is concerned with irradiation of fuel assemblies to determine central temperature limitations.

During the eighth quarter the instrumented assemblies were removed from VBWR and examined for effects of the exposure to reactor conditions. Also during this period the Big Rock developmental fuel assembly design was completed and a topical report was issued. A summary of progress by task is presented here.

The fourth quarter of effort applied to the Consumers R & D Program is summarized in the following: high power density fuel development, fuel fabrication development, stability, heat transfer and fluid flow, physics development, operation planning and test coordination.

Startup and testing of the PRTR has been divided into three parts, Design Tests, Critical Tests and Power Tests. This document is the third of the series and describes the performance tests which will be made under nuclear power and the general schedule of operation. Responsibility for the startup of the reactor has been assigned to the PRTR Startup Council. The Power Test Sub-Council, which has done the planning of the initial power operation, was established by the Startup Council. Operation of the reactor will be the responsibility of the PRTR Operation (PRTRO).

This report follows a preliminary survey made to study radioactive contamination of the soil (and to some extent in the air and waters) in the vicinity of seven uranium processing mills.

Introduction. With the imminence of non-destructive landings of small instrumented payloads on the moon, many suggestions are being put forth as to methods of analyzing its surface. It is the purpose of this report to present a body of information which, it is hoped, will be useful in examining the feasibility of an early nuclear experiment to determine the elemental constituents of the lunar surface. The reasons for considering a nuclear approach is that it may be possible to perform an analysis without complex and elaborate manipulations, sample preparation or rigid geometrical constraints. Only those experimental designs which come within the presently-available or very-near-future general boundary conditions on weights, power, vehicles, etc., are discussed. The general approach is to consider the bombardment of the lunar surface with various nuclear beams and to examine the possible nuclear reactions which are know to be dependent on the mass and charge of the irradiated material. Then, those resultant radiations are sought which can be detected with little-or-no loss or distortion of the information which they contain.

This bibliography contains 147 references on the fabrication of beryllium. References are also given on the brazing, casting, cladding, extrusion and welding of beryllium and some beryllium-rich alloys. The bibliography is limited to the period 1950 - 1959. references are arranged alphabetically by title, with author and subject indexes provided. Sources used in compiling this bibliography are: Abstracts of Classified Reports, ASM Review of Metal Literature, Bibliographies of Interest to the Atomic Energy Program - Classified and Unclassified Versions, Engineering Index, Nuclear Science Abstracts, TISE, List of Bibliographies in the Atomic Energy Program.

This is a selected bibliography of books, journal articles, and unclassified reports published on the state of matter at high pressure from 1950 to October 1959. Sources consulted were: Physics Abstracts, Nuclear Science Abstracts, Geophysical Abstracts, Library of Congress Monthly Index of Russian Accessions, and Chemical Abstracts.

A geometrical treatment has been used to outline the theoretical properties of optical fibers which are imperfect as well as geometrically and optically perfect. Experiments have been performed to measure some to the optical properties of individual fibers and fiber bundles.

This document presents the bases for those PRTR Process Specifications involving considerations of heat transfer and fluid flow. It will be noted that some of the bases incorporate information gained from laboratory experiments with electrically heated test sections simulating PRTR fuel elements. These experiments are described in some detail elsewhere.

A method is presented for measuring the average energy of the neutrons from a source. The attenuation of the neutrons by polyethylene is measured by the use of a long counter in good geometry. The attenuation length is a sensitive function of the neutron energy. The average neutron energies from several (o, n) sources have been measured and agree well with values obtained by other techniques.

A report about the effect of irradiation on the thermal conductivity of uranium.

This report has been prepared to review the status of design for buried waste line and presents the major factors involved in support of the conclusions. This report is the second in a series reporting on the general subject of underground corrosion. The first on cathodic protection of waste lines noted the technology of stainless steel and its effect on existing waste line and recommended continued use of the cathodic protection. Experience with buried stainless pipe had shown that, unless protected, such installations are subject to severe pit corrosion. As designs developed the use of encasements has become a standardized approach. This discussion will evaluate this trend.

Introduction: During the year 1952-1953, research on the Boulder batholith program was largely devoted to basic mineralogy studies of the "siliceous reef" and, to the extent possible at that time, the "base metal" deposits.

"A study has been made of methods to prepare a fluid containing 1 gram of thorium per milliliter. The methods considered were solutions of thorium salts, suspensions of dry solids in water, and collodial suspensions. Thorium oxide, oxalate, and fluoride were tried in conjunction with one or more surface actants, but it was not possible to attain the required thorium concentration. Thorium hydrosol, produced by peptization of thorium hydroxide and subsequent electrodialysis, gave the necessary concentration of 1 gram per milliliter. A solution of 0.5 gram per milliliter was found to be stable to electron irradiation and did not flocculate upon shaking or standing. Selected surface actans which might be used as protective colloids were found to be unstable to electron irradiation.

This technical report summarizes the work which has been done to date on the preparation of magnesium hydride and the attempted preparation of beryllium hydride. Although pure beryllium hydride has not yet been made, the work is continuing, and this report indicates which phases are thought to be worth further work.

"Continued progress has been made with the high temperature decontamination processes for irradiated uranium fuel. The fused salt treatment of molten uranium has been extended to UCl3. Plutonium and rare earths were extracted into the UCl3 phase. Direct plutonium distillation from molten irradiated uranium has been scaled up to the hundred gram scale. Solid scavenging experiments using uranium oxide, uranium carbide, and uranium nitride in contact with molten uranium have indicated fission product removal. A scaled-up investigation of the separation and recover of uranium from an SIR type ceramic fuel using the volatile fluoride process has indicated the feasibility of this separation method. The effect of irradiation on the decomposition of BrF3 has been further studies in experiments using the NAA statitron.'

The following report follows a complete radiochemical analysis that has been made on the sample of first-cycle neutralized waste, as well as a gravimetric analysis made on the sludge in the sample of first-cycle waste.

Abstract: "Tests have been developed for both the qualitative detection and quantitative determination of fluorine in chlorine. The qualitative test is made by passing the gas through manganous chloride. If the pink solid tubes brown there is greater than 0.5 percent of fluorine in the gas. The quantitative test is a modification of the Steiger and Marvin Test with oxidized titanium solution."