Abstract: "A titrimetric method for the determination of fluoride in plutonium is reported. Prior to a steam distillation of the fluoride, the bulk of the plutonium is separated by precipitation of the sulfate. The fluoride in the distillate is titrated at a pH of 3.2 with 0.001 M thorium nitrate, using chrome azurol-S indicator. Applied to samples containing 1 to 15 parts per million fluoride, the recovery is 87% and the precision on the 95% confidence level is +/- 0.65 ppm."

Two xenon extraction runs were made this month. It appears that a small design change in Trap #2 will be necessary so that a dry ice-trichloroethylene slurry can be used for coolant rather than liquid freon. For each of the runs this month the enriched generator was exposed for four hours in the est pile operating at 100 watts. A period of eight hours for cooling and xenon builidup was allowed before the collection and separation runs were started.

In order to prevent dangerous concentrations of combustible gases such as hydrogen and ammonia in Redox dissolvers, a continuous analysis of the off-gases is needed. Hydrogen is evolved from most fuel element dissolution processes now used or planned for use at Redox. Ammonia is also released from ammonium fluoride dissolution of zirconium and caustic dissolution of aluminum cladding. Oxides of nitrogen and hydrogen are formed during nitric acid dissolution of uranium or plutonium-aluminum alloys. Since no fixed ratio exists between the concentrations of any two of these gases, the determination of combustible gases in complex mixtures is not possible with a single bulk property analyzer.

The development of a miniature probe was desired for measuring approximate single nuclide beta dose rate in solution and in various animal organs. This probe designed for biological experiments, was to have maximum possible sensitivity to detect low levels of nuclide concentrations. The desired dimensions of the light pipe were to be approximately one-fourth-inch diameter with lengths of three to twelve inches.

With the construction of nuclear reactors, a great deal of emphasis has been placed upon studying the effects of radiation on the solid materials of construction. It has become necessary to consider radiation exposure as an environmental entity along with others so established such as temperature, electrical and mechanical stress, chemical resistance, weather, etc. Problems concerning the study of the behavior of materials that are thus increased when radiation exposure has to be evaluated singly or in combination with one or more of the other environments. This paper presents the general plan of attack being followed to solve such problems that arise when plastics and elastomers are placed in radiation fields. These studies were undertaken for two primary reasons: (1) to obtain engineering data for practical applications of the desirable properties of these materials for such devices as o-rings, gaskets, pipe, and electrical insulation; and (2) to use these data to enable a better understanding of the nature of radiation effects on these materials. The initial phase of the program is the screening of materials by subjecting them to various degrading environments and recording property changes. Thus, with data on how these materials performed, more comprehensive studies could be made …