The object of this test is to determine the hydraulic characteristics of the proposed overbore process tube assembly designs which are to be installed on 105-C reactor for the 40 tube overbore fuel element test.

An investigation was conducted to determine which tubes of the 1A loop heat exchanger are leaking. Air pressure and probing tests are inconclusive and cannot be used to verify chemical sampling. (J.R.D.)

A report regarding an airborne gamma-ray spectrometer and magnetometer survey of the Brainerd Quadrangle, Minnesota

This report includes a summary of materials research and engineering of the aircraft nuclear propulsion project.

None

Although there were the ususl fluctuations in background at certain of the monitoring stations, the contamination levels recorded do not differ significantly from those of the previous year except that there appears to be a slight trend downward. Data are tabulated. This downward trend can be attributed to a curtailment of operations at the Laboratory, the gradual implementation of the containment program, and a curtailment in world-wide weapons testing. Tall-out data are included. Two personnel exposures were recorded which have been reported elsewhere. One emPloyee received a relatively high exposure to the left hand which consisted primarily of soft radiation. A second employee apparently has accumulated a sizeable fraction of a permissible body burden of Pu/sup 239/. The number of unusual occurrences increased over the previous year. However, in general, these events posed only routine problems and it is probable that the noted increase in such occurrences is due primarily to a more complete reporting system which was inaugurated early in the year. (auth)

Methods for dissolving unirradiated uranium-molybdenum alloy reactcr fuels in nitric acid, nitric acid--ferric nitrate, and nitric acid-- phosphoric acid solutions were studied on a laboratory scale. Flowsheets based on the results propose dissolution of alloys containing 3% molybdenum in boiling 6 M HNO/ sub 3/ to yield stsble solutions that are 0.6 M in uranium and 3 to 4 M in nitric acid. The uranium can then be easily decontaminated and recovered in a conventional Purex-type tributyl phosphate solvent extraction process. Alloys containing 10% molybdenum would be dissolved in boiling 11 M HNO/sub 3/, allowing molybdic oxide to precipitate. The molybdic oxide, which carries 5-10% of the uranium, is removed by centrifugation and the acidity of the supernatant solution adjusted tc allow recovery of the uranium by Purex-type solvent extraction procedures. The uranium carried by the molybdic oxide is recovered after the MoO/ sub 3/ is dissolved in warm 5 M NaOH. Less than 0.1% of the uranium is solubilized during the caustic dissolution. Alternative methods investigated involve dissolution in nitric acid containing 0.5 to 1 M ferric nitrate to complex the molybdenum. These techniques lead to undesirably large volumes of high-level solvent extraction waste solutions. Phosphate ion is also …

Concrete mix design criteria, based on existing theories of proportioning and specifically oriented toward the solution of radiation shielding problems, were developed. Effects of aggregate gradation, cement-to- aggregate ratio, and water content were examined. A barytes concrete, designed according to these criteria, was thoroughly investigated in the Lid Tank Shielding Facility. Relative effectivenesses of dry aggregates, aggregates plus cement, and cured concrete were compared through thermal-neutron flux, fast- neutron dose, and gamma-ray dose measurements behind slab configurations. Attenuation was measured for the aggregate, the aggregate plus cement, and for the barytes concrete. Comparison with attenuations calculated on the basis of removal cross sections for the measured chemical compositions showed satisfactory agreement. (auth)

Average record data listings taken during aerial gamma-ray and magnetic surveys of the Brainerd quadrangle in Minnesota.

Single record data listings taken during aerial gamma-ray and magnetic surveys of the Brainerd quadrangle in Minnesota.

N/A

"Some of the important results obtained in investigations of capacities of plumbing stacks in test systems at the National Bureau of Standards and elsewhere are discussed. Data are shown from experiments on the flow of water and air in such systems, and analyses of certain flow phenomena are given. Methods are shown for applying the results of research in hydraulics and pneumatics to the preparation of loading tables (for drainage and vent stacks) suitable for use in plumbing codes" (p. 1).

Correlation of a number of physical and chemical properties of 12 different UO/sub 2/ powders was continued. The UO/sub 2/ powders were studied by means of infrared absorption measurements, oxidation temperatures as determined by hot stage microscopy techniques, and B. E. T. surface area measurements. Additional pellets were prepared to study ceramic performance. (M.C.G.)

This report, for June 1961 from the Chemical Processing Department at HAPO, discusses the following: Production operation; Purex and Redox operation; Finished products operation; maintenance; Financial operations; facilities engineering; research; employee relations; weapons manufacturing operation; and safety and security.

Even in its present primitive stage the molecular beam method promises to open up many opportunities for detailed studies of reactive collisions. The early results described here have revealed several features inaccessible to the traditional methods of kinetics. We hope this program of beam studies will ultimately provide the basis for constructing a theory of the molecular mechanics of reactions. By borrowing what are now everyday techniques in nuclear physics (modulation of the beams; mass analysis and counting of detected ions) it appears possible to gain from four to six orders of magnitude.

Abstract: An intuitive approach to the understanding of crystal structures is presented in terms of the concept of the closest packing of spheres.

"An intuitive approach to the understanding of crystal structures is presented in terms of the concept of the closest packing of spheres. The qualitative features of the concept are sorted out and correlated by successively treating single, double, triple, and multiple layered arrays of closest packed spheres" (p. ix).

Report issued by the APDA over a design study conducted on an "in-pile package loop for use as a reactor fuel test facility" (p. 5). The results are presented and discussed. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

A corrosion testing program designed to estimate the potential service life of aluminum alloys used in the construction of the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) cooling systems has been in progress for over two years. The five alloys (1100, 3003, 5052, 5154, and 6061) used to the greatest extent in the reactor exhibited continuously decreasing corrosion rates since the first 500-hr inspection. Samples exposed in the core-cooling loop have shown a decrease in corrosion rate from a 2.6 mpy maximum for one group during the first 500 hr to an over-all average of less than 0.1 mpy for another group after a full year in test, with the maximum metal loss less than 0.1 mils. Results indicate that with suitable water treatment the aluminum alloys used in the ORR may be expected to give satisfactory performance for many years. Based on the generalized corrosion rates alone, 40 to 50 years of service life may be expected. However, since occasional localized corrosion has been observed (rarely), minor repairs will almost certainly be required before that time. (auth)

The alloying of zirconium to improve corrosion resistance has an empirical basis, and satisfactory explanations for the alloying effects are not available. A theory of compensating valencies in the corrosion oxide is proposed, in which cations of lower and higher valence than zirconium (+4) are present in ratios such that electrostatic neutrality is ensured. An example is an alloy containing equimolar amounts of scandium (+3) and niobium (+5). A number of zirconium alloys were prepared in which scandium or yttrium were paired with elements capable of a +5 or +6 valence. The ternary alloys containing scanadium were superior to the alloys combining yttrium. The alloys containing scandium plus molybdenum, tantalum, or tungsten had relatively long lifetimes in steam at 540 deg C and 600 psi as compared with other alloy combinations, including Zircaloy-2. A quenched alloy containing 0.025 wt% Sc and 0.053 at.% Mlo, that is, 0.05 mol.% of each additive, corroded approximately according to a cubic law up to 758 hr, at which potnt the rate suddenly increased in a manner suggesting hydrogen damage. Examination of the oxide film from alloys containing scandium and molybdenum showed only monoclinic ZrO/sub 2/. It is believed that stabilization of this form of …

Report concerning the corrosion of several ternary zirconium alloys using distilled water at 350 degrees Celsius or ssteam heated to 540 degrees Celsius and 600 psi.

Monthly newsletter of the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, discussing the field of underground water. Topics include profiles of water conservation research, annual pre-plant soil moisture survey data, annual Winter Water Level measurement data, and information about the latest water conservation tips.

ABS>The design concept of an a-c ionization chamber and its supporting electronics is described. Several designs are possible and the sensors can be tailored to specific requirements when necessary. Mode of operation, signal voltage development, and switching frequency are discussed. High-sensitivity operation is described. Requirements for high-temperature, power-level operation are outlined. (M.C.G.)

This paper discusses a group of high-speed switching circuits using the basic current-switching mode of operation. The first part of the paper presents a dynamic analysis of the basic current-switching mode and the second part is the dynamic and steady-state analysis of a current-switching flip-flop.