Technical report. Areas covered are properties of uranium halides, properties of uranium nitrides, and hydride formation at high pressure.

Abstract. Methods for determination of both uranium and nickel in solutions of these metals are described. Alloys can be dissolved in nitric acid treated with citric acid to complex the uranium, and the nickel precipitated as nicked dimethylglyoxime. The uranium is reduced and titrated with standard ceric sulfate. These methods are for the determination of macro amounts of uranium and nickel with errors on the order of 0.1%.

Abstract. The precipitation of Pa233 with MnO2 from a solution of thorium nitrate has been studied in some detail and seems quite satisfactory up to 36 gm Th(HO3)4 4H2O per 100 cc solution. The concentration of Pa233 with respect to the manganese dioxide carrier and the thorium precipitated with the carrier appears to be accomplished quite well by either a series of MnO2 cycles or thorium iodate cycles. Volatility methods for both the separation of Pa233 from the original thorium and for its separation from MnO2 are now under investigation. It has been decided that thorium carbonate will the the thorium compound used in the pile at Site X.

Technical report on the studies that have been made on the composition and thermal decomposition of uranyl peroxide. The conditions of precipitation and drying have been found to have no appreciable effect on the composition of the compound, but do affect the physical appearance of the precipitate and the rate of thermal decomposition. The UO4 + 2H2O appears to be thermodynamically unstable with respect to UO3 at 25 degrees C and atmospheric pressure, although the rate of conversion is extremely slow. The UO4 + 2H2O is completely converted to UO3 on standing at 150 degrees C and atmospheric pressure for two weeks. Partially decomposed uranyl peroxide samples contain extra oxygen which is released on immersing the sample in water.

Abstract. Fluorides and other halides are hydrolyzed completely by passing a rapid stream of superheated steam over the sample near 1000 degrees C in a specially designed platinum reaction tube. The steam and hydrogen halide are condensed by cooling, and the resulting distillate titrated with standard sodium hydroxide solution. The fluorides and chlorides of the light metals, hitherto thought of as very difficult to hydrolyze, are mixed with U3O8, or other metallic oxides, which reacts with the products of hydrolysis, thus shifting the equilibrium so that the reaction is complete in a comparatively short time. A description of the apparatus, including photographs, the recommended method of procedure, hydrolysis rate graphs, and suggestions for further applications of the method are given.

This technical report summarizes the work done in attempting to determine the solubility of helium in tuballoy. In general, the method used has been to allow the tuballoy to stand in contact with helium at one atmosphere presume at a fixed temperature for an extended period, then to pump off the excess helium to a low pressure in as short a time as possible (10-6 mm of Hg or less). The system was then closed off and the pressure increase was measured by a suitable gauge as a function of time. The metal was employed in the form of a powder in early measurements, and later as massive metal. The experimental techniques are described in the report.

Abstract. Spectrographic procedures for determining small amounts of the common contaminants in beryllium and its compounds are described. Suggestions relative to the preparation of synthetic standards are also given.