Abstract: An investigation was conducted to determine the absorption and translocation of fission products by Russian thistle from a localized spot of contaminated soil. The amount and identity of the radioactive elements absorbed and translocated by the Russian thistle is given along with the location of these elements in the plants. Beta radioactivity to the amounts of 10 microcuries per gram caused no visible effects on the growth habits of sectioned material are included.

The following document describes data collected from a 14-month period of analyzing crustaceans containing radioactivity. Provided is information based on the change of radioactivity through seasonal changes.

Experimental combination hand and shoe counter redesign as a compact, simplified, register readout instrument no larger than the present Five-Fold called Model 2.

From introduction: "This report presents the apparent viscosities of supernate-sludge slurries prepared synthetically to simulate the conditions known to exist in the waste storage tanks, but with fission products and plutonium absent."

Approximately 15,000 "P" Process Aluminum caps clad with aluminum-silicon on the face and sides have been successfully canned. These caps were fabricated by the Aluminum Company of America from clad plate stock. An increase in canned slug yield of about two percent was realized from using these caps and no significant process problems indicated that the additional cost of clad plate might be off-set by the elimination of the centerless grinding now required on the side of the cap base. Therefore, processing of at least 100,000 additional aluminum-silicon clad caps is recommended, and consideration should be given at this time to completely converting from the present cap design to the aluminum-silicon clad cap.

From statement of objectives: The purposes of the work described in this report are to provide data useful for designing and operating the dissolver solution clarification equipment to be installed in the Redox production plant.

The following report covers a test with the objective to demonstrate that the plutonium and uranium losses associated with the aluminum jacket dissolution could be reduced by substituting a water wash for the 5 per cent nitric acid wash following the coating removal and that this change would not adversely effect the product yield of decontamination in subsequent process steps.

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.

The introduction of aluminum in hot process water has been studied extensively and numerous reports have been issued on the subject. The conclusions reached have been largely empirical and can only be used to state what is happening under the given conditions existing in the corrosion experiments. It is only with difficulty and a great deal of uncertainty that these empirical results can be used to predict what will occur under a different set of conditions. If the fundamental mechanism of aluminum corrosion in water were known, it is possible that more accurate predictions could be made and that steps might be taken to affect the controlling factors and thus reduce the severity of corrosion. To keep the system as simple as possible one would attempt to study the corrosion mechanism by corroding aluminum in pure water. However, this is undesirable because of the extremely low corrosion rate of aluminum in pure water and the large water supply and treatment facility required to supply sufficient high purity water for circulation about the corrosion samples.

Introduction:"A corrosion test program in support of the Redox Project was carried out during the second quarter of 1950 to determine the corrosion rates of several austenitic stainless steels in simulated 202-B Waste Storage solution containing HF, HN03, and H2SO4 acids. The results of this program are contained herein and all original data are recorded in laboratory notebook HW-3282-T."

Abstract: "A new method of determining 8-hydroxyquinoline by titration with electrolytucally-generated bromine has been developed. Results show good precision in the range 0.4 mg. to 1.6 mg. total 8-hydroxyquinoline, with 99% confidence limits of less than +/- 2%. An electronically-regulated constant current source, required by the method, is described. A new indicator system with high sensitivity to free bromine is discussed."

A means for decontaminating the primary system of recirculating type reactor is necessary to insure operation and maintenance. This recirculation system can be contaminated by fuel element rupture products and induced corrosion product activities.

In the Sulfex process, stainless steel cladding, generally 304-L, is removed from fuel elements by dissolution in boiling four to six molar sulfuric acid. When cladding removal is complete, the decladding solution is removed is removed to waste. The exposed fuel cores are rinsed and dissolved in nitric acid.

The transfer or circulation of raw dissolver solutions containing gross particulate matter presents many problems not easily overcome by standard pumping equipment. In April of 1956 the HAPO concept of a modified Archimedes screw pump was developed. Two basic models, externally powered and driven through extended shafts, were constructed and tested. Operation of these preliminary models was so satisfactory that a third unit, integrally formed into drive motor, was built and placed in extended life test. This report describes construction and testing of the third and final model.

Abstract: "A method has been established for the estimation of volatile organic acids in aqueous process solutions containing UNH, nitric acid, ANN, sodium dichromate and small amounts of hexone. The practice is to distill a 400 ul or 500 ul sample in the presence of an excess of phosphoric acid and ferrous sulfate under a high vacuum; a special apparatus utilizing a receiver cooled with a dry ice-isopropanol mixture is employed. The distillate is taken up in isopropanol and then titrated potentiometrically with standard potassium hydroxide solution. Since nitric acid and organic acids are present, two end points are observed. The potassium hydroxide added between these end points is equivalent to the organic acids. In the titration, CO2 from the atmosphere or in the potassium hydroxide is a source of error. The former was avoided and correction was made for the latter."

The following report examines a rapid method used to eliminate the possibility of explosive perchlorate-organic mixtures in a control laboratory in order to determine radiocesium. These methods include the usage of chloroplatinic acid as a precipitate of radocesium.

Plutonium Fuels Development Basic studies. Experiments to determine the effect of plutonium dioxide additions on the sinterability of UO2 have continued. PuO2 has been added to ball milled PWR grade UO2 as a physical mixture, and in the form of the mixed crystal oxide.

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.

Describes the current prototype model of a linear amplifier, two-channel pulse-height analyser, two-channel count-rate meter, and count-rate difference detector for a gamma-ray spectrometer monitor developed to approach the above design criteria.

Report describing a 300-Mw(e) Supercritical Pressure Power Reactor's facilities, physics, economics, and problems encountered during its development. Appendix begins on page 103.

The determination of various parameters such as thermal utilization, resonance escape probability, control rod calibrations and etc. is often accomplished by the measurement of the pile period due to some given perturbation. With the present thoughts being directed towards plutonium fueled reactors, it was felt worthwhile to discuss a few of the basic differences in pile neutron behavior due to the smaller fraction of delayed neutrons per fission of Pu239 and the larger fraction of delayed neutrons per fast fission of U238 than occurs from fission of U235 alone.

The results of electrical resistance measurements have been used as a means of following changes occurring in metals due to irradiation. The electrical conductivity is sensitive to changes in composition and to cold-work or structure damage. In an anisotropic metal, such as uranium, the director of measurement also influences to some extent the values obtained. For these reasons it is essential to use the same material, and if possible the same piece of material, in comparing the electrical properties before and after irradiation. This report is a description of the measurements made on pieces of the same uranium rod before and after an exposure of approximately 150 MWD/T. The results, while preliminary in nature and dealing only with one sample and exposure level, provide data for which a comparison may be made of the electrical resistivity of irradiated and non-irradiated uranium metal.

Introduction: "Evidence of masonite deterioration in test hole plugs was interpreted to mean that a previous estimate of the minimum lifetime of the masonite in a Hanford biological shield might be somewhat optimistic. The importance of understanding the effects of radiations on masonite for both present and future pile shields dictated that masonite be sampled from an operating pile shield and studied. The results and techniques are discussed in the following sections of this report."

Abstract: "The sensitivity to fast neutrons of a CP Meter ionization chamber of the type used for health physics beta and gamma survey measurements has been investigated."