A large number of ``hot spot`` slug failures characterized by intergranular corrosion of the aluminum can have occurred in the past year. The cause of this type of failure may be vertical displacement of one or more slugs in the slug columns. To determine if such displacement may reasonably be expected and to determine the cause and cure of the displacement a set of experiments have been performed in the 189-D laboratory. This document presents data which has been thus far collected. (1) Slugs which are cocked in a process tube are cause for severe-column bowing. Bowing is most severe when the cocked slug is in the downstream portion of the tube. Stopping flow will not realign bowed slugs. (2) Flow seating a slug column can cause slugs to cock and cocked slugs remain cocked even when backseated and the water flow is stopped. (3) When all slugs have undamaged ends and are well aligned with the tube ribs as well as fully seated against the rear nozzle insert, only minor bowing will occur, even when the upstream end of the slug column is restrained. (4) Anodized pieces behave erratically and in an unexplained manner. (5) Flows as much as …

Reactivity measurements have been made in the Hanford Test Pile, comparing the one-piece I&E slug and the wafer I&E slug with the standard solid slug (1.336 inch uranium diameter). The results of these measurements, made by the Experimental Physics Unit of Pile Engineering, are summarized in this report.

In April of 1955 the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California sent out to 18 high schools in the Bay Area letters which said, in part, 'The object of this program is to help science teachers achieve some practical knowledge and experience in nuclear science by working with some of our basic research groups in physics and chemistry. In this way we believe that we can assist these teachers in their efforts to make their students more aware of the nature of atomic energy and help to prepare them for the impact of atomic energy in their future.'

This paper constitutes a review of the experimental events that led our laboratory to focus its attention on thioctic acid, a discussion of some of the purely chemical and physical properties of thioctic acid that this awakened interest prompted us to investigate, and a brief description of some of our recent biological investigations with thioctic acid.

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