Monthly report the progress and development of improved zirconium alloys for service in superheated water and steam. This report covers the period between April 1 to April 31, 1961 and was conducted by the United States and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).

"The magnetic properties of color centers were studied to obtain information regarding electron traps in insulators. Experiments designed to determine the equation governing the recovery of resonance after saturation were carried out. Relatively large samples were prepared by the method of additive coloration. KCl and RbCl crystals were used. Resonance saturation as a function of concentration was investigated and no significant dependence found. Measurements of the unsaturated susceptibility were made at liquid nitrogen and liquid helium temperatures. The bleaching of the F-center to form the B-band produced a different resonance. The equipment for observing the saturation and recovery of a portion of the resonance at 4 deg K is described. A theoretical examination was made of the interaction between the vibration of the ions around a negative-ion vacancy in an alkali halide and an electron trapped at that site. (M.C.G.)."

The following report is the final technical report on a series of reports under contract AT(11-1)-515, titled "Niobium Phase Diagrams", covering the period from April 15, 1957 to April 16, 1960.

"This bibliography lists selected books, articles, and unclassified reports which have appeared in the following abstracts and indexes between August 1959 and December 1960."

This technical report details and outlines the BGRR facility's operations and performance record over a period of twelve years. The author of this report finds that the reactor is "one of the most stable and dependable in the business." The report includes two figures.

From introduction: "This brief paper deals with the subject of radial temperature differences for heat transfer to fluids flowing through concentric annuli under the following conditions and assumptions: a. constant heat flux; b. fully-established turbulent flow; c. heat transfer through inner wall only; d. physical properties independent of temperature."

Abstract: "Production of [rho]'s and [omega]'s in [pi]- + p and p + [letter p with a bar over it] interactions is discussed. The [rho] is presumably a J = 1-, 1 = 1 state and thus can decay into 2[pi]'s via a strong coupling. The [omega] is probably J = 1-, 1 = 0 which can also decay into 2[pi]'s via electromagnetic coupling. A theoretical description of this situation is presented in terms of coupled time-dependent Schroedinger equations which mix [rho] and [omega] states that are assumed to be isotopically pure at the time of production. The interference between the two resonances was found to have the effect of extending the 2[pi] spectrum toward the [omega] mass."

Abstract: This technical report contains a description of the nuclear analysis performed upon the SM-2 core and vessel for the period September 1, 1958 to December 31, 1959. Calculations are given for core reactivity, power distributions, lifetime, reactor control, kinetics, radiation problems, fuel and poison burn-ups, and the nuclear effects of poisons, temperature, and geometry. Wherever possible, experimental data is included in order to test the validity of the analytical models. The SM-2 nuclear analysis was performed by Alco Products, in. under Tasks 1, 8, and 10 of Contract No. AT(30-2)-326 for the Atomic Energy Commission.

Introduction: In conjunction with the final design and development of a 70 MW sodium intermediate heat exchanger and a sodium steam generator, an analysis is required which can be used as a basis for a determination to scale up or scale down the designs. Included in this analysis are those considerations leading to the recommendation of the best prototype test unit and to some of the limits imposed on scaling up or down when considering future applications of designs other than those actually tested. In addition, these considerations include aspects required to accurately predict the performance, operation, mechanical reliability, and feasibility of fabrication of the 70 MW design.

Abstract: An easy to use method for evaluating Bessel functions is given. This method is applicable to the one-dimensional, 2-group, 2-region diffusion problem, and is designed primarily for use on a small or medium sized digital computer. ...FORTRAN programs based on this method are presented together with the output obtained from an IBM-1620 digital computer.

Abstract: Progress is reported on research and development tasks under the Program Plan for Engineering Support and Development of Army Pressurized Water Reactor Power Plants, Contract AT(30-1)-2639, during the six months' period October 1, 1061 to March 31, 1962.

Activities in a program to develop techniques in the use of pulsed neutron sources to measure shutdown parameters related to large thermal power reactors are reported. The experimental work centers around aspects of detecting neutrons in the presence of 10/sup 7/ r/hr gamma fields. Boric acid experiments and Humboldt Bay experiments are reported.

Abstract: Three irradiation experiments are described which have been designed to study the behavior of fuel elements in a reactors superheated steam environment. The experiments were conducted in the Superheat Advanced Demonstration Experiment loop, Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor. The results obtained demonstrated that 304 stainless steel fuel clad in unsatisfactory for use in nuclear super heat fuel sheath designs where plastic strain or plastic deformation is allowed to occur. The results were in agreement with those reported for a previous experiment in SADE (SH-4B) and constituted the basis for change in direction of the superheat fuel program in regard to both design and fuel sheath selection.

Abstract: The physical property variation of superheated steam differs sufficiently from most other gases to warrant experimental investigation of heat transfer performance. Results are reported here of measurements made in a uniformly heated circular duct with steam at 1000 psi. The data agree very well with the expression use for design purposes, which is based on information in the literature for heating of other gases as well as steam. This work was a continuation of that performed under Task (Heat Transfer) of the Nuclear Superheat Project, AEC Contract AT(04-3)-189, Project Agreement 13.

This technical report describes the development, design, operation, and performance of a full-circle, radial-vane steam separator for the boiling water section of a nuclear superheat reactor. Steam-water tests of this model have demonstrated that is has vane capacity in excess of that required for the 300-Mx(e) separate superheat reactor and for the 300-Mw mixed spectrum superheat reactor. It is proposed that the vane capacity requirement of the 600 Mw(e) separate superheat reactor may be attained by increasing the nozzle length.

Preface. This technical report is an updated and revised version of the original SM-1 (APPR-1) Hazards Summary Report. The original report was issued July 1955, almost two years before construction of the SM-1 plant was completed. During that time interval there were numerous design changes. Consequently, the original report does not accurately describe the plant as built. This revision is written after the SM-1 has been operated 3 years. It describes the as-build plant and includes plant modifications and experience obtained during the first 3 years of SM-1 operation.

From introduction: "This is the fifteenth in a series of quarterly reports which cover the progress and results from the conceptual designs, economic evaluations and research and development work performed by the General Electric Company as part of Contract AT(01-3)-189, Project Agreement No. 13."

Technical report. From "3. Methods of Preparation" : "Pivadehyde cyanohydrin can be prepared by the reaction of pivadehyde with anhydrous HCN2 or by the sodium bisulfite process. Trimethyllactamide can be prepared by hydrolysis of pivaldehyde cyanohydrin with cold concentrated sulfuric acid. The procedure described here differs in the scale of preparation an in the use of cold fusing hydrochloric acid for hydrolizing the cyanohydrin."

Technical report. Form Abstract : "Perchlorate is extracted from aqueous solution by n-butyronitrile as ferrous 1,10-phenanthroline perchlorate. The amount of perchlorate is calculated from spectrophotometric measurement of the absorbance of the extract. Moderate to large amounts of chloride, sulfate, or nitrate cause little or no interference. Chlorate is slightly extracted but the interference can be corrected."

From abstract: "The results of recent measurements on the equations of state of sodium and xenon are discussed. The experimental data for each of these are analyzed to show that the isothermal compressibility is solely a function of volume within experimental accuracy. The basic differences between the low temperature PV relationships for sodium and xenon are shown to be easily understandable in terms of the elementary theories of these substances. The range of experimental pressures (to 20 kbars) and temperatures (20°K to the triple point) is sufficiently great so as to produce significant changes in the lattice thermal properties in each case. These changes are indicated through the use of zero pressure heat capacity data in combination with the equation of state data to calculate the volume and temperature dependence of the Debye Θ. The result is quite spectacular for xenon, where a pressure of 20 kbars roughly doubles ΘD."

This technical report discusses an infrared study of AlH3-2N(CH3)3 while the compound was in its gas phase. This investigation was then extended to include the Raman spectrum observed in liquid trimethylamine.

From abstract: "Electrical measurements have been made on CaB6, SrB6, BaB6, YB2, YB4, YB6, and YB12 for the purpose of testing models of the electronic structure of the boron atoms in the four boride types represented. The compounds CaB6, SrB6, and BaB6 were found to be semiconductors. The Hall coefficients of YB4 was also measured, but could not be interpreted because the free electron theory does not provide a theoretical value for comparison with experiment. The results are in agreement with the models proposed."

From abstract: "In this paper the motion of a nucleus with an intrinsic quadrupole moment in an external electrostatic field gradient is discussed from a classical point of view. It is shown that in the classical approximation the angular momentum may precess about the direction of strongest field gradient or about the direction of intermediate field gradient, but not about the direction of weakest field gradient. The classical precession frequencies are found to be related to the quantum mechanical dipole transition frequencies."

From abstract: "The effects of oxygen on some mechanical properties of niobium were studied over the composition range of 20 ppm to 2400 ppm oxygen. The tensile properties of samples of these compositions were studied over the temperature range from room temperature to 500°C. Hardness values were obtained at room temperature only. The following observations and conclusions were made during these studies: 1. Oxygen additions to high purity niobium increase both the yield and tensile strengths of niobium at all temperatures investigated. As the temperature is increased above 250°C the effect of the first 200 ppm of oxygen has more influence than further additions on these strengths of niobium. 2. Strain aging behavior is observed. The peaks in the tensile strength versus temperature curves can be predicted with reliability by the relationship proposed by Cottrell, 3. A mechanism is proposed which, along with Cottrell's segregated atmosphere mechanism, can account for the serrated stress-strain curves obtained. This mechanism offers an explanation of the occurrence of serrations at room temperature, and the mechanism is composition dependent."