Studies were made on the kinetics of the polymerization of tetravalent Pu, depolymerization of polymeric Pu(IV), and properties of Pu(IV) poiymer under representative solution conditions of acidity, temperature, and ion concentrations encountered in fuel processing. The polymerization of tetravalent Pu was studied as a function of the Pu concentration, (1 to 8 mg Pu/ml), nitric acid concentration, (0.03 to 0.3 M), and temperature (25 to 95 deg ). Under these conditions, disproportionation and nitrate oxidation of the tetravalent Pu occurred and were also studied. It is clearly indicated that colloidal polymer formation is favored by an increase in the Pu concentration and temperature, or by a decrease in the acidity. Temperature had a pronounced effect on the rate and extent of polymer formation at any particular acidity. The effects of UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/, Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/, NaNO/sub 3/, and F/sup -/ upon the kinetics of polymer formation in acidic nltrate media were also determined at low acidities and elevated temperatures. In the presence of high concentrations of the nitrate salts the colloidal Pu(IV) polymer was observed to precipitate. The precipitation of aged colloidal Pu(IV) polymer by nitratecontaining electrolytes, HNO/sub 3/, Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/, NaNO/sub 3/, and LiNO /sub 3/, …

The 6-Bev strong focusing electron synchrotron continued to operate weli. Three-shift operation was began, one shift being devoted to machine maintenance and improvement and two shifts being devoted to serving the various groups of experimentalists. Brief descriptions of the experiments are presented. New equipment was obtained, an external positron beam (10/sup 6/ particles/sec) was established, and preparations for trial production of an external electron beam were completed. (N.W.R.)

Tables of scattered gamma-ray fluxes in water that are suitable for integration over source spectra were generated on the IBM-7090 computer by Lagrangian interpolation of moments method results for point isotropic gamma-ray sources. Values of the fluxes were obtained for a consistent set of scattered gamma-ray energies taken in steps of 0.1 Mev from 0.1 to 1.0 Mev and in steps of 0.25 Mev from 0.25 to 10 Mev. One table was obtained for each scattered energy for various values of the source energy and of the distance from the source in mean free paths. Tables were then generated in which the distance from the source was converted from mean free paths to centimeters. The latter set may be integrated over any source spectrum to obtain the flux of scattered gamma rays in water, and, with small error, in any material in which the cross section is dominated by the Compton scattering cross section. This includes the low-Z materials such as aluminum and air. (auth)

Nineteen papers presented at the Conference on the Transport of Radionuclides in Fresh Water Systems are given. Separate abstracts were prepared for 18 papers; one was previously abstracted for NSA. (M.C.G.)

A brief review of boiling for ordinary fluids with emphasis on the wall superheat required for bubble initation from different surfaces at varying pressures is presented. Calculations based on an equation valid for normal fluids indicate that superheats from two to eight times that for water are required to initiate a vapor bubble in some of the alkali metals. The high superheat and the high thermal conductivity peculiar to liquid metals are combined to explain the unstable liquid-metal boiling phenomenon in natural- and forced-circulation loops. Forced-convection boiling-potassium heat-transfer coefficients correlated by the Locknart-Martinelli two-phase flow parameter are in reasonable agreement with the forced-convection boiling-water data of Dengler and Addoms. Some recomraendations on bubble initiation sites and future work with liquid metals are also included. (auth)

The computer program MET-146, in FORTRAN, locates maxima on Fourier (or Patterson) maps from 27 surrounding points in the 3-dimensional Fourier case and from 9 points for a 2-dimensional case. Input, output, and operations are described. Results obtained with this program are compared with those from other programs and from analytical extrapolation. A test problem is also included. (D.C.W.)

A scavenging-precipitation ion-exchange process using phenolic resins was developed to decontaminate lowradioactivity-level process water waste prior to discharge to the environment. In laboratory and small engineeringscale tests, greater than 99.9% of the cesium and strontium, the principal biological hazards were removed from ORNL low-level waste, and the total activity level was lowered to less than the maximum permissible concentration recommended for populations in the neighborhood of atomic energy installations. The water was treated by a scavenging-precipitation with sodium hydroxide, pH 11.7, and ferrous sulfate, copperas-5 ppm Fe, to remove suspended solids and soluble hardness, clarified, and then passed through a carboxylic-phenolic ion-exchange resin to sorb the remaining radionuclides. After passage of 1,500 to 2,000 resin-bed volumes, the resin was eluted with 10 volumes of 0.5 M HNO/sub 3/. Sodium carbonate can be added in the precipitation step to aid the quantitative precipitation of calcium for wastes that contain small amounts of phosphates, or alternatively, an extra ion-exchange column of carboxylic resin can be used to remove calcium and thus conserve the capacity of the phenolic resin for cesium and strontium. Three kinds of studies were made: batch laboratory-scale studies, continuous nonradioactive runs at 15 liters/hr, and runs with radioactive waste …

The propagation of short electromagnetic pulses in an ionized medium and the reflection of transient pulses from bounded ionized regions is discussed. Analyticai expressions for transient oscillations in reflected and propagated electromagnetic fields excited by a unidirectional pulse are derived for certain simple cases. The transient oscillations show a periodicity that is directly related to the plasma frequency and are useful for nearly instantaneous plasma diagnostics. An experiment is described in which the reflection and transmission of unidirectional pulses of approximately 1-nanosecond duration is observed in the afterflow of a coaxial discharge tube. In addition to the dispersion of the quasi TEM mode in the coaxial test tube, a transient oscillation with much lower periodicity is also observed and is interpreted as arising from a surface-wave propagating near the interface between glass walls and the annular ionized region. This surface-wave propagates only at frequencies below the plasma freguency of the ionized region, and its application for diagnostics of dense plasmas is indicated. (auth)

Poison demand curves were computed for a boiling water reactor with H/ sub 2/O to UO/sub 2/ ratios of 2.1 and 3.0, a uranium235 enrichment of 3.3 wt%, and fuel depletions in the range of 10,000 to 25,000 Mwd/t. These curves indicate poison lumps in the form of cylinders to be desirable. For these same reactors, the excess reactivity was computed for the cold clean, hot clean non- voided, and hot full-power equilibrium conditions. The excess reactivity was computed with and without a black burnable poison sized for the full power equilibrium condition. The moderator temperature defect and reactor operating power defect are increased substantially if computed including explicitiy the effect of a black poison. Model development was completed for depleting isolated cylinders. Initial self-shielding factors were computed as a function of cylinder radius for ten neutron temperatures. Depletion calculations were performed for four values of cylinder diameter and neutron temperature. Gadolinia cylinders in alumina rods were formed and sintered at temperatures up to 2850 deg F. A reaction between Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ begins at 2650 deg F. Investigations were begun of reaction between UO/sub 2/ and Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/. Development was completed on methods to …

A pilot plant facility for recovering Pu and unconverted neptunium from irradinted neptunium target elements was operated for 17 months at the Savannah River Laboratory. The process required that the irradiated target elements be dissolved and the solution be processed through three anion exchange cycles for removal of undesirable fission products and cations, recovery of unconverted neptunium, and concentration of the Pu/sup 238/ solution. The process equipment was enclosed in three stainless steel boxes that were installed in two generalpurpose cells of a ten-cell complex. The basic cells were not modified. The two cells were not separated from the adjacent 8 cells. Containment of the high-specific-activity alpha emitters was accomplished by ventilation, development of handling techniques, use of procedures, and close radiation control coverage. The factlity was dismantled, and the cells were decontaminated and returned to normal use. With the exception of an accidental overexposure, all personnel exposures were kept below the administrative level of 3 r/yr. None of the personnel assimilated detectable amounts of the material handled. (auth)

This report

This report details activities of the N-Reactor Department during the month of June 1963.

None

None

Monthly magazine discussing natural resources, parks, hunting and fishing, and other information related to the outdoors in Texas.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

This report addresses radiobiological considerations in reentry of nuclear reactor fragments

None

None

A bibliography of 2843 references in abstracted form is presented which covers the period l950 to 1962. The references are arranged under the following headings: books and review articles, boiling, bubble, condensation, evaporation, equations of state, interfacial characteristics, mass transfer across phase boundaries, measurement techniques, nuclear reactor heat removal, and twophase flow. An author index is included. (D.L.C.)

None

8 7 6 2 ; 7 4 7 6 : 7 8 : : ; half life of 3.781 plus or minus 0.010 years based on calorimetric measuiements. The calorimetric assay of the sample will be continued ior several years to decrease the probable error. The decay scheme for /sup 209/Po--/sup 209/Po/ isitopic mixtures is being determined. The gamma spectrum is being studied using two sources of different isotopic composition. Definite peaks were established at 76, 260, 300, 575, and 9l0 kev. Various multiple coincidence experiments indicated that the 300- and 575-kev photons and the 76-kev x-ray are in triple coincidence. Relative intensities of the various gamma rays from the two different sources indicated that the 575-kev photon is associated with /sup 208/ Po decay, while the 260- and 910-kev states are attributed to /sup 209/Po. A theoretical estimate of the partial alpha half life for /sup 208/Po decay to the 2+ level in /sup 204/Pb (at 0.899 Mev) was made. This value (2.5 x 10/sup 6/ years) was determined graphically by extrapolation to an alpha particle energy of 4.2l1 Mev. /sup 209/Po--/sup 2o9/Po sources are being prepared for the investigation of the internal conversion electron spectra of these isotopes. …

None

None