A new package type facility for corrosion decontamination studies has been designed and fabricated. This report gives a description, drawings, and comments on its operation. It has been in operation since December, 1958.

For some time, the need has been recognized for an X-ray diffraction unit applicable to studies concerning the crystallographic characteristics of pile irradiated materials. Except for studies involving specimens of low activity, it has been impossible in the past to investigate materials which emit intense beta and gamma radiations. The exact type and degree of irradiation damage to high activity materials has been largely a matter of theoretical conjecture. The object of this report is to describe an X-ray diffraction spectrometer that can be used to collect crystallographic data from irradiated materials.

Following is a description of what may be an invention in the art of compacting uranium dioxide (UO2) and other ceramic or cermet nuclear fuel materials for ultimate use as reactor fuel elements. Vibration of ceramic fuel materials at the resonant frequency of the metal encasing material, using high rates of acceleration, produces uniformly compacted high-density fuel elements.