The following progress reports continues the investigation of the HCl-acetone process for extracting uranium, discovering that it is applicable to most Western ores, yielding high uranium recoveries. The economics of the process have been improved by substitution of sulfuric acid for part of the hydrochloric acid requirements.

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Bevatron operation has been stopped temporarily due to a generator fault. While repairs are being instituted the tank will be down to air for repairs and target installation. Operation on one generator is scheduled for May 3. It has been previously proposed that one could investigate the {pi}{sub 0} lifetime by measuring the converted electron yield from {pi}{sub 0} decay photons as a function of the thickness of a thin target in which both the {pi}{sub 0} production and photon conversion occur. If the lifetime were effectively zero the electron yield should depend quadratically upon thickness; whereas if the lifetime is sufficiently great, this quadratic rise will be delayed as the thickness is increased, due to the distance travelled by the {pi}{sub 0} before decay. In fact, the beginning of the yield dependence is cubic rather than quadratic in character. It is estimated that a lifetime of 10{sup -15} seconds should provide a distinctly detectable effect. The investigation may be considered practical at the Bevatron providing: (a) the production cross section for {pi}{sub 0}'s at 6 Bev is about 100 times that at 340 Mev, (b) a Bevatron pulse of 10{sup 8} protons, with a recirculation of 1000 times thru …

This report addresses the determination of oxygen in uranium and uranium hydride by reaction with bromine trifluoride.

The C-Reactor is currently equipped with neoprene covered stainless steel bellows connectors between the rear face nozzles and crusaders. These pigtails are failing at an excessive rate and must be replaced at an early date. The replacement design, developed by Pile Technology Sub-Section, utilizes a relatively short length of stainless steel tubing and a slip joint sealed by ``O``-rings. This report describes a test to evaluate the suitability of the slip joint pigtail as a replacement rear face connector.

Ion exchange column elution methods for the separation of americium and curium using tartrate and lactate solutions have been developed which are superior to citrate elutions. Tartrate elutions are suitable for slow separations and lactate elutions are satisfactory for general use where rapid separations are required. Fission and spallation products were isolated from Pu{sup 239} targets which had been bombarded with alpha particles of 21 to 37 Mev energy. Fission yield curves as well as fission and spallation excitation functions are presented and discussed in terms of odd-even and Z{sup 2}/A effects. The high cross sections observed for the (a, 2n) and (a, p2n) reactions were surprising results from this investigation. In the course of the Pu{sup 239} bombardments, studies of the decay schemes of Am{sup 240}, Cm{sup 240}, and Cm{sup 241} were undertaken. Decay energy and half-1ife information on all of the transmercury nuclides has been collected and systematized. Trends on the energy surface for alpha energies, beta energies, nucleon binding energies, and Bohr-Wheeler parameters are presented. These energy systematics have led to a complete tabulation of the masses of the isotopes of the elements above mercury. Predictions of nuclear properties are included for some isotopes of elements 99 …

A study of the effects of gamma radiation with respect to the formation of nitro-hydrocarbons on the Purex and Redox systems shows that no appreciable formation of nitro-paraffins occurs.