The chemical and physical properties of {sup 218}Po immediately following its formation from {sup 222}Rn decay are important in determining its behavior in indoor atmospheres and plays a major part in determining its potential health effects. In 88% of the decays, a singly charged positive ion of {sup 218}Po is obtained at the end of its recoil path. The neutralization rates for Po-218 by the small ion recombination, electron transfer or electron scavenging mechanisms were previously reported. We have measured the small ion recombination rate in high purity gases to determine the negative small ion production rate as a function of the ionization potential of the gas. Our previous studies have also shown that radiolysis of water vapor by the recoiling Po ion produces high local concentrations of hydroxyl ({center dot}OH) radicals. These radicals can lead to oxidation of reactive trace gases and the neutral polonium molecule can become incorporated in ultrafine particles formed by the nucleation of low vapor pressure compounds produced by this radical oxidation process. The hydroxyl radical production rate and the production of particles are currently being studied. 12 refs., 1 fig.

Radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the West Valley Demonstration Project is being processed into low-level waste and solidified in cement. High-level waste also stored underground will be vitrified and solidified into canistered glass logs. To move the waste from where it resides at the Waste Tank Farm to the Vitrification Facility requires equipment to prepare the storage tanks for low-level and high-level waste processing, equipment to mobilize and mix the radioactive sludge into a homogeneous slurry, and equipment to transfer the slurry for vitrification. The design of the Sludge Mobilization System has incorporated the necessary components to effect the preparation and transfer of waste in five operational phases. The first phase of the Sludge Mobilization System, which began in 1987, prepared the waste tanks to process radioactive liquid for delivery to the Cement Solidification System and to support the mobilization equipment. The second phase, beginning in 1991, will wash the sludge that remains after the liquid supernatant is decanted to prepare it for mobilization operations. The third phase will combine the contents of various waste tanks into one tank. The fourth phase will resuspend and mix the contents of the high-level waste tank. The fifth and final phase …

Sorbent injection is a low capital cost, low operating cost approach to SO{sub 2} control targeted primarily at older boilers for which conventional fuel gas desulfurization is not economically viable. Duct injection is one variation of this concept in which the sorbent, either a dry powder or a slurry, is injected into the cooler regions of the boiler, generally downstream of the air heaters. The attractiveness of duct injection is tied to the fact that it avoids much of the boiler heat transfer equipment and thus has minimal impact of boiler performance. Both capital and operating cost are low. This program has as its objectives three performance related issues to address: (1) experimentally identify limits on sorbent performance. (2) identify and test sorbent performance enhancement strategies. (3) develop a compute model of the duct injection process. Two major tasks are described: a laboratory-scale global experiment and development of process model. Both are aimed at understanding and quantifying the rate-limiting processes which control SO{sub 2} capture by lime slurry during boiler duct injection. 29 refs., 35 figs., 4 tabs.

We have made good progress in formulating our procedures for assembly of prototype sensor parts to alleviate problems of oxidation/reduction of components and possibly deleterious interactions of component materials. We have been working exclusively with the simplest form of prototype, i.e. without an incorporated heater. This has been to save assembly time and materials and to simplify the system of the components while we have dealt with overriding, non-heater'' assembly issues. It is anticipated future inclusion of the heater will introduce some new problems to be overcome, but we do not think these will be overwhelming.

This report covers the project progress of grant DE-FG02-86ER60422 for the period March 1, 1990--October 1, 1990. The research program includes three tasks: General Circulation Models (GCM) intercomparison and improvement, climate data-model statistics, and China project science coordination. This work has been performed in collaboration with our subcontractor, Dr. Wei-Chyung Wang, SUNY/Albany. 8 refs.

This paper discusses the following topics: antiproton nucleus interactions; strangeness production in heavy ion collisions; search for a J{sup PC} exotic hybrid meson; the SMC experiment; pion production in {rvec n}p scattering; spin transfer measurements for {rvec n}p elastic scattering; pion production in {rvec n}{rvec p} scattering; radiative muon capture (RMC) on hydrogen; radiative decays of low-lying hyperons; photoproduction of jets in nuclei; cylindrical multiplicity detector; MWPC detectors and electronics; lead glass array; cylindrical wire chamber; beam calorimeter; shower counter; and muon veto hodoscope.

This report discusses the nuclear structure of the following isotopes as a result of radioactive decays: neutron-deficient iridium isotopes; neutron-deficient platinum isotopes; neutron-deficient gold isotopes; neutron-deficient mercury isotopes; neutron-deficient thallium isotopes; neutron-deficient lead isotopes; neutron-deficient promethium isotopes; and neutron-deficient samarium isotopes.

The SIGMA-PI ({Sigma}{Pi}) method as implemented in the SIGPI computer code, is designed to accurately and efficiently evaluate the probability of Boolean expressions in disjunctive normal form given the base event probabilities. The method is not limited to problems in which base event probabilities are small, nor to Boolean expressions that exclude the compliments of base events, nor to problems in which base events are independent. The feasibility of implementing the {Sigma}{Pi} method on a personal computer has been evaluated, and a version of the SIGPI code capable of quantifying simple Boolean expressions with independent base events on the personal computer has been developed. Tasks required for a fully functional personal computer version of SIGPI have been identified together with enhancements that could be implemented to improve the utility and efficiency of the code.

The Vitrification Facility (VF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project was designed to convert stored radioactive waste into a stable glass for disposal in a federal repository. The Functional and Checkout Testing of Systems (FACTS) program was conducted from 1984 to 1989. During this time new equipment and processes were developed, installed, and implemented. Thirty-seven FACTS tests were conducted, and approximately 150,000 kg of glass were made by using nonradioactive materials to simulate the radioactive waste. By contrast, the planned radioactive operation is expected to produce approximately 500,000 kg of glass. The FACTS program demonstrated the effectiveness of equipment and procedures in the vitrification system, and the ability of the VF to produce quality glass on schedule. FACTS testing also provided data to validate the WVNS waste glass qualification method and verify that the product glass would meet federal repository acceptance requirements. The system was built and performed to standards which would have enabled it to be used in radioactive service. As a result, much of the VF tested, such as the civil construction, feed mixing and holding vessels, and the off-gas scrubber, will be converted for radioactive operation. The melter was still in good condition after being at temperature …

An investigation of the effects of surface structure, dispersion, and support on the adsorption, catalytic, and electronic properties of cobalt/alumina is described, the objectives of which were to determine (1) the effects of surface structure and metal dispersion on the adsorption and catalytic properties of cobalt and (2) the effects of direct electronic interactions between metal clusters and support, on the adsorption, catalytic and electronic properties of cobalt supported on alumina. Effects of surface structure and dispersion on the adsorption, activity/selectivity, and electronic properties of Co/W single crystal surfaces and alumina-supported cobalt were investigated in a surface investigation, lab reactor studies, TPD/TPSR studies, and a Moessbauer spectroscopy study. The structure, stability, surface electronic properties, and chemisorptive properties of vapor-deposited cobalt overlayers (0-4 ML) on W(110) and W(100) were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, work function changes, and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of cobalt, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. The CO chemisorptive properties of the two cobalt overlayers are quite different, CO adsorption being dissociative on the W(100) surface and nondissociative on the W(110) surface; comparison of the results with those for Ni/W(100) indicate that Co/W(100) dissociates CO as a result of electronic interaction with the tungsten substrate.

An investigation of the effects of surface structure, dispersion, and support on the adsorption, catalytic, and electronic properties of cobalt/alumina is described, the objectives of which were to determine (1) the effects of surface structure and metal dispersion on the adsorption and catalytic properties of cobalt and (2) the effects of direct electronic interactions between metal clusters and support, on the adsorption, catalytic and electronic properties of cobalt supported on alumina. Effects of surface structure and dispersion on the adsorption, activity/selectivity, and electronic properties of Co/W single crystal surfaces and alumina-supported cobalt were investigated in a surface investigation, lab reactor studies, TPD/TPSR studies, and a Moessbauer spectroscopy study. The structure, stability, surface electronic properties, and chemisorptive properties of vapor-deposited cobalt overlayers (0-4 ML) on W(110) and W(100) were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, work function changes, and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of cobalt, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. The CO chemisorptive properties of the two cobalt overlayers are quite different, CO adsorption being dissociative on the W(100) surface and nondissociative on the W(110) surface; comparison of the results with those for Ni/W(100) indicate that Co/W(100) dissociates CO as a result of electronic interaction with the tungsten substrate.

Based on results of testing eight solids removal technologies and one pretreatment option, it is recommended that a centrifugal ultrafilter and polymeric ultrafilter undergo further testing as possible alternatives to the Norton Ceramic filters. Deep bed filtration should be considered as a third alternative, if a backwashable cartridge filter is shown to be inefficient in separate testing.

Based on results of testing eight solids removal technologies and one pretreatment option, it is recommended that a centrifugal ultrafilter and polymeric ultrafilter undergo further testing as possible alternatives to the Norton Ceramic filters. Deep bed filtration should be considered as a third alternative, if a backwashable cartridge filter is shown to be inefficient in separate testing.

This document reports the progress made during the first six months of the current three-year DOE grant on Artificially Structured Magnetic Materials.'' However, because some of the results of our previous three-year DOE grant on Artificially Structured Superconductors'' continue to emerge, both topics are addressed in this Progress Report. This report describes progress with DOE funding during the current calendar year; description of the research to be conducted during the remaining six months of the current grant year; a description of the status of the graduate students working on this research; lists of the invited talks, seminars and colloquia, of other recognition of our research, and of the publications crediting DOE sponsorship; and a summary of current and pending federal support. Since the research proposed to be conducted during the next 2 1/2 years is described in detail in our DOE proposal, it is only briefly reviewed here.

The invention consists of an improved method for the preparation of single phase, fine grained ceramic materials from precursor powder mixtures where at least one of the components of the mixture is an alkali earth carbonate. The process consists of heating the precursor powders in a partial vacuum under flowing oxygen and under conditions where the partial pressure of CO{sub 2} evolved during the calcination is kept to a very low level relative to the oxygen. The process has been found particularly suitable for the preparation of high temperature copper oxide superconducting materials such as YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} ``123`` and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8} ``124``.

The use of a 1-kg solid-lithium x-ray and debris shield around each fusion fuel pellet prevents vaporization of, and destructive shock waves in, the Cascade blanket granules thereby increasing their lifetime. The shield vaporizes as it absorbs energy and the vapor flows into the blanket several centimeters. The shield also increases tritium breeding and enhances vacuum pumping of high Z materials that are vaporized in the fuel pellet. Using heavy ion beams allows illumination of the fuel pellets with the restricted geometry present in Cascade. We used a 5 MJ driver with 18 beams (one 3 {times} 3 array from each end).

This report presents the status at the end of 1989 and the outlook for commercial nuclear capacity and generation for all countries in the world with free market economies (FME). The report provides documentation of the US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 2030. The long-term projections of US nuclear capacity and generation are provided to the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) for use in estimating nuclear waste fund revenues and to aid in planning the disposal of nuclear waste. These projections also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment, and are provided to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The foreign nuclear capacity projections are used by the DOE uranium enrichment program in assessing potential markets for future enrichment contracts. The two major sections of this report discuss US and foreign commercial nuclear power. The US section (Chapters 2 and 3) deals with (1) the status of nuclear power as of the end of 1989; (2) projections of nuclear capacity and generation at 5-year intervals from 1990 through 2030; and (3) a discussion of institutional and technical issues that affect nuclear power. The …

The purpose of this study was to identify the general principles governing the choice of hybrid separation systems over straight membrane or straight nonmembrane systems and to do so by examining practical applications (process design and economics). Our focus was to examine the energy consumption characteristics and overall cost factors of the membrane and nonmembrane technologies that cause hybrid systems to be preferred over nonhybrid systems. We evaluated four cases studies, chosen on the basis of likelihood of commercial viability of a hybrid system and magnitude of energy savings: (1) propane/propylene separation; (2) removal of nitrogen from natural gas; (3) concentration of Kraft black liquor; and (4)solvent deasphalting. For propane/propylene splitting, the membrane proved to be superior to distillation in both thermodynamic efficiency and processing cost (PC) when the product was 95% pure propylene. However, to produce higher purity products, the membrane alone could not perform the separation, and a membrane/distillation hybrid was required. In these cases, there is an optimum amount of separation to be accomplished by the membrane (expressed as the fraction of the total availability change of the membrane/distillation hybrid that takes place in the membrane and defined as {phi}{sub m}, the thermodynamic extent of separation). Qualitative …

Tritium was released to the atmosphere from the Savannah River Plant during an incident on September 2 and 3, 1984 between 10 PM and 3 AM. During this five hour period, 43,800 Ci of tritium, principally in the form of the oxide (HTO), was released. An additional 14,000, Ci was released during subsequent cleanup operations between September 3 and 7. The total amount released from the incident was 57,800 Ci. The HTO cloud initially moved northward and passed near the towns of New Ellenton and Aiken, SC. Two hours after the release began, the wind shifted and carried the cloud toward Columbia, SC. The cloud moved northeast during the daytime on September 3 over the east-central portion of North Carolina. Environmental sampling teams were dispatched by SRL, SRP, and SCDHEC (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control). SRL collected air and vegetation samples and SRP collected vegetation, water, milk and bioassay samples. SCDHEC collected vegetation, milk, and water samples. The highest activity of HTO measured in vegetation was 501 pCi/mL onsite, 2522 pCi/mL at the plant boundary, and 9859 pCi/mL offsite. These concentrations were approximately 100 times larger than normal values. 13 refs., 7 figs., 10 tabs.

This invention is comprised of a transmission cable for carrying high current pulses in which an even numbered plurality of electrical conductors surrounds a central ground conductor. Each electrical conductor is connected so that it at any instant in time it will carry current of opposite polarity to the polarity carried by adjacent conductors. This arrangement cancels practically all of the external fields generated by current in the conductors.

The frequency of stress corrosion cracking in the near weld regions of the SRS reactor tank walls is apparently lower than the cracking frequency near the pipe-to-pipe welds in the primary cooling water system. The difference in cracking tendency can be attributed to differences in the welding processes, fabrication schedules, near weld residual stresses, exposure conditions and other system variables. This memorandum discusses the technical issues that may account the differences in cracking tendencies based on a review of the fabrication and operating histories of the reactor systems and the accepted understanding of factors that control stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steels.

The frequency of stress corrosion cracking in the near weld regions of the SRS reactor tank walls is apparently lower than the cracking frequency near the pipe-to-pipe welds in the primary cooling water system. The difference in cracking tendency can be attributed to differences in the welding processes, fabrication schedules, near weld residual stresses, exposure conditions and other system variables. This memorandum discusses the technical issues that may account the differences in cracking tendencies based on a review of the fabrication and operating histories of the reactor systems and the accepted understanding of factors that control stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steels.

This report presents data on international oil production, consumption, imports, exports, and stocks. The report has three sections. Section 1 contains time series on world oil production, and on oil consumption and stocks in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This section contains annual data beginning in 1973, and monthly data for the most recent two years. Section 2 presents an oil supply/consumption balance for the market economies (i.e. non-communist countries). This balance is presented in quarterly intervals for the most recent two years. Section 3 presents data on oil imports by OECD countries. This section contains annual data beginning in 1982, and quarterly data for the most recent two years. 25 tabs.

Kapton HN properties and the properties of the slip additive calcium phosphate dibasic (CaHPO{sub 4}) were investigated. Impurity analyses were performed on the compound by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and ion chromatography (IC). Other analyses on the slip additive included: processing solution -- dissolution analysis, high-explosive compatibility studies, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and particle size distribution. Testing and analyses were also performed on Kapton HN film and other polyimide films that could serve as possible replacements for Kapton HN. The polyimide films that were tested are: Upilex-R, Upilex-S, Upilex-SGA, and Apical. The analyses performed were: infrared (IR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SEM/EDS, high-potential breakdown testing, (PVD) physical vapor deposition adhesion tests, and peel tests. Upilex-S flyer cables were also fabricated and successfully test fired. In addition to these raw material tests, production cables were chemically treated and destructively (high potential) tested. A long-term aging environment for production cables was also selected, and aging tests were begun. 9 figs., 7 tabs.