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Paper describes procedures used at Hanford to bioassay plutonium in urine samples.

The objective of this project was to remove impurities in the form of PbO/sub 2/ from a HNO/sub 3/ solution by electrolysis. This electrolytic cell must process up to a 15-gal. batch in a minimum of time. It is desirable that the impurity remaining after processing be less than 20 ppm. Construction and operation of the cell are described. (G.Y.)

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Costs are estimated for the production of uranium and pure thorium from monazite concentrates. The process involves; reaction of the monazite with caustic soda, dissolution of the hydrous oxides in hydrochloric acid, separation from the bulk of the rare earths by hydroxide precipitation of thorium and uranium, and purification by solvent extraction. (auth)

Certain laboratory processes require low-powered radio-frequency heating with fine continuous control. A lightweight low-powered induction heater which is capable of delivering about 20 watts of power into a load 12 feet from the heater with fair efficiency was developed to meet this need.

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The work to determine the feasibility of using a quickoperating closure for the pressure vessel of the controlled Recirculation Boiling Reactor is described. An outline of the worb performed and the conclusions made is given. Datailed results of the self-energizing seal-evaluation tests are given. (W.D.M.)

A zirconium crystal bar, weighing 29 pounds and 1 5/16 inches in diameter by 8 feet in over-all length, was prepared, using pear-shaped zirconium couples to join the filament to the electrodes. This crystal bar was the largest produced to date in the 16-in.-diam. de Boer unit. The design of the couplings was modified to incorporate improvements indicated by the initial run, and another run is in progress. Binary alloys of Zr and Ni, Cr, and Si, as well as a zirconium alloy containing Fe, Al, and Si, were prepared for use as feed material in the small pyrex de Boer bulbs. The transfer of these elements from the feed to the crystal bar is being investigated. The rate of deposition and the type of crystal structure obtained with additions of various amounts of iodine are being studied. (auth)

This memorandum concerns the relative activities of Argon 41 and Nitrogen 16 in the pile gas composed of 95 percent carbon dioxide and 5 percent air. The memorandum is dated November 16, 1950. (JL)

Uranium can be rolled from cast metal or forged ingot to sheet satisfactory for cupping, deep drawing, and similar fabrication procedures by a combination of hot breakdown in the neighborhood of 600 deg C and warm finishing at 225 to 325 deg C. Sheet may also be obtained by hot rolling alone and by warm rolling alone, but the combination of hot and warm rolling afforded the best and most practical method to secure good quality sheet in the quantity required. The percent reduction by hot working does not appear to be critical, but at least 60% warm reduction is desirable to obtain complete and controlled grain size by recrystallization with high ductility and strength properties. Except for research investigation, rolling of uranium below 225 deg C is not recommended. Hot rolling of unplated uranium from the as-cast or as-forged surface is recommended, using a bath of 35% Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ plus 65% K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ for a heating medium. No further preparation other than washing the salt from the hot rolled surface is required before warm rolling, and a bath of Meltemp No. 7 oil is recommended for warm rolling. Starting with an as-cast tensile strength averaging 60,000 psi, …

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This document provides a discussion of the design features for the P-10X Project needed in Building 109-B.

This report addresses the corrosion of zirconium in 600°F water and in 750°F superheated steam.

The purpose of the research work presented in this volume is to develop a process for the separation and purification of actinium-227 produced by neutron bombardment of radium-226 and to develop methods by which uniform films of actinium metal may be deposited on metallic surfaces. The design work on the cave structure and mechanical equipment used in the actinium separation is proceeding on schedule. As the mechanical design phase is nearing completion the emphasis is being directed toward processing equipment. The process as well as the mechanical equipment has been adapted from the research work of F. T. Hagemann and the Remote Control Group at Argonne National Laboratory. Consequently, one of the first objectives is to become familiary with the chemistry of the process and the operation of the mechanical equipment. Cold runs have been made on the T.T.A. benzene extraction using lanthanum and barium in place of actinium and radium. No difficulty with the operation was observed. The formation of precipitates was one of the difficulties encountered with the process as the precipitates carry radium. It has been found that metals such as nickel cause these precipitates to form and should, therefore, be avoided in the construction of equipment. …

The purpose of the research work reported in this volume is the development of a process for the separation and subsequent purification of radium from the K-65 (pitchblende) residue. Except for the accumulation of additional experimental data the process is essentially complete. After a preliminary extraction of about 85% of the lead and 40% of the silica with a 40% sodium hydroxide solution, the residue is treated with a solution containing both sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate to obtain additional lead removal and partial conversion of the radium and barium sulfates to carbonates. After leaching out the soluble carbonates, the residue containing unconverted sulfates is treated with a sodium carbonate solution at 170{sup o} under pressure. A study of the amount and concentration of sodium carbonate required to obtain a satisfactory conversion of the sulfates has shown that the total sodium carbonate may be reduced by 40% and that smaller volumes of solution may be employed without serious decrease in the efficiency of the conversion. In order to make calculations on the number of steps and tank sizes for the radium-barium separation by fractional precipitation, equations have been developed to calculate this information from the theoretical separation factors determined experimentally. …

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Experimental techniques are described for the spectral measurement of a collimated fast-neutron beam. A H/sub 2-/ filled cloud chamber, proton-recording nuclear plates, and threshold fission foils were used as neutron detectors in the measurements. As an application of these techniques, the energy distribution and absolute flux of the fast neutron beam emerging from the Los Alamos fast reactor was measured from 0.1 to 18 Mev. (D.E.B.)

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On 2/8/1950, there was mined from process tube 2273 in D pile at Hanford a quantity of graphite power, which was expected to show the most extensive radiation damage of any graphite available at that time. A series of samples of this powder were annealed in 100 degrees increments from 100 degrees to 2000 degrees C at this labaoratory. There were returned to Hanford and shipped by them to the National Bureau of Standards for total stored energy measurements. The present memorandum is comprised of a description of the annealing procedure used here, curves giving the detailed annealing history of each sample, and various curves derived from data obtained from these samples at Hanford and at the National Bureau of Standards.