Fourteen papers were presented. These papers describe concrete surface removal methods and equipment, as well as experiences in decontaminating and removing both power and experimental nuclear reactors.

Enrichment of emulsion PCR product is the most laborious and pipette-intensive step in the 454 Titanium process, posing the biggest obstacle for production-oriented scale up. The Joint Genome Institute has developed a pair of custom-made robots based on the Microlab Star liquid handling deck manufactured by Hamilton to mediate the complexity and ergonomic demands of the 454 enrichment process. The robot includes a custom built centrifuge, magnetic deck positions, as well as heating and cooling elements. At present processing eight emulsion cup samples in a single 2.5 hour run, these robots are capable of processing up to 24 emulsion cup samples. Sample emulsions are broken using the standard 454 breaking process and transferred from a pair of 50ml conical tubes to a single 2ml tube and loaded on the robot. The robot performs the enrichment protocol and produces beads in 2ml tubes ready for counting. The robot follows the Roche 454 enrichment protocol with slight exceptions to the manner in which it resuspends beads via pipette mixing rather than vortexing and a set number of null bead removal washes. The robotic process is broken down in similar discrete steps: First Melt and Neutralization, Enrichment Primer Annealing, Enrichment Bead Incubation, Null …

A survey of the water requirements is presented for a hypothetical plant to process all the fuel from a 15,000Mwe nuclear economy. For each processing plant, specific requirements must be based on a detailed water survey which includes water quality, process requirements, and in-plant conservation plans. These considerations are discussed and the quantitative requirements are listed. (J.R.D.)

The slow neutron transmission of several samples of plutonium is being investigated with the Columbia Neutron Velocity Spectrometer. The spectrometer, which has been described previously (Rainwater et al., Phys. Rev. 71, 65 (1947)), was recently improved, recalibrated, and the operational factor reevaluated (CUD-59). Results reported here were obtained by the procedure described in that report.

Comprehensive understanding of chemical transport in response to fluid flow and diffusion in geologic processes requires thermodynamic and transport properties of a wide variety of aqueous species at the temperature and pressure of interest, as well as mass transfer computer codes that provide simultaneously for fluid flow, diffusion, dispersion, homogeneous chemical reactions, and mineral solubilities. As a result of research carried out with support from DOE in prior years of this grant, considerable progress has been made in developing computer codes to calculate advective-dispersive-diffusional transport at both high and low pressures and temperatures. These codes have become highly sophisticated, but their application to geochemical processes is limited by the availability of thermodynamic and transport data for the major solute species in the aqueous phase. Over the past three years, research has been directed primarily toward characterizing the thermodynamic behavior of concentrated supercritical aqueous electrolyte solutions and predicting the diffusion coefficients of organic species in oil field brines. Related research has been concerned with characterizing the growth rate of hydrothermal alteration zones and assessing the relative importance of aqueous diffusion and heterogeneous reactions at mineral surfaces in geochemical processes. 103 refs., 12 figs.

Distortion of reactor-grade graphites was studied at varying neutron exposures ranging up to 14 x 10/sup 21/ neutrons per cm/sup 2/ (nvt)/sup */ at temperatures of irradiation ranging from 425 to 800 deg C. This exposure level corresponds to approximately 100,000 megawatt days per adjacent ton of fuel (Mwd/ At) in a graphite-moderated reactor. A conventionalcoke graphite, CSF, and two needle-coke graphites, NC-7 and NC-8, were studied. At all temperatures of irradiation the contraction rate of the samples cut parallel to the extrusion axis increased with increasing neutron exposure. For parallel samples the needle- coke graphites and the CSF graphite contracted approximately the same amount. In the transverse direction the rate of cortraction at the higher irradiation temperntures appeared to be decreasing. Volume contractions derived from the linear contractions are discussed. (auth)

The Spin Spectrometer at the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility (HHIRF) is a multidetector ..gamma..-ray spectrometer consisting of 72 separate NaI detector elements closely packed in a 4..pi.. geometry. The basic apparatus was constructed at Washington University and has been installed and implemented at the HHIRF at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The spectrometer was designed especially for the investigation of the mechanisms of heavy-ion induced nuclear reactions and of the structure of nuclei with high angular momentum. The data acquisition system is described. (WHK)

The objectives of this project are to study the effect of pretreatment methods on the two-stage liquefaction process. In particular the effects of dispersed catalysts and carbon monoxide atmospheres on a coal liquefaction process. The project is divided into three technical tasks. Task 1 and 2 deal with the analyses and liquefaction experiments, respectively, whereas Task 3 deals with the economic impact of utilizing the pretreatment methods. This quarter concentrated on Tasks 1 and 2. which are summarized below. The fractionated products from the coal liquefaction experiments conducted in Task 2 exhibited a very low H/C ratio, most likely due to the low H/C ratio of the Black Thunder recycle vehicle used in these liquefaction experiments. Wilsonville has reported the recycle vehicle as approximately 20% distillable material (1100{degree}F at one atmosphere), 20% insoluble material (CI) and 40% resid. We are now in the process of fractionating this material in order to determine its contribution to our liquefaction results. We also analyzed some of the sulfated iron catalysts for surface areas, finding that the calcined catalyst had surface areas of 76 m{sup 2}/g, compared to 6 m{sup 2}/g for the iron oxide used by Wilsonville. We also synthesized two more catalysts, …

A model for H/sup -/, D/sup -/ production by energetic particles reflecting from metal surfaces is discussed. The model employs the energy and angular distribution data derived from the Marlowe code. The model is applied to particles incident normally upon Cs, Ni, and Cs/Ni surfaces.

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The body of this report is contained in two appendicies that deal with time-resolved spectroscopic analysis of microballoon implosions. The first paper introduces the experimental observation of plasma-induced line shifts in recent implosion experiments together with our theoretical analysis. These observations provide a new parameter with which to diagnose very dense laser-produced plasmas. It also indicates that at even higher densities shift-effects can be expected to be more prominent. The second paper represents an application of our analytical tools to the analysis of mix experiments. Interesting results are discussed.

Although Hamiltonians of various kinds have previously been used to derive Green-Kubo relations for the transport coefficients, the particular choice described is uniquely related to thermodynamics. This nonequilibrium Hamiltonian formulation of fluid flow provides pedagogically simple routes to nonequilibrium fluxes and distribution functions, to theoretical understanding of long-time effects, and to new numerical methods for simulating systems far from equilibrium. The same methods are now being applied to solid-phase problems. At the relatively high frequencies used in the viscous fluid calculations described, solids typically behave elastically. Lower frequencies lead to the formation of dislocations and other defects, making it possible to study plastic flow. A property of the nonequilibrium equations of motion which might be profitably explored is their effective irreversibility. Because only a few particles are necessary to generate irreversible behavior, simulations using adiabatic deformations of the kind described here could perhaps elucidate the instability in the equations of motion responsible for irreversibility.

This report contains the results of geochemical and physical property analyses of twelve samples from the Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (ILAW) borehole #2. The borehole is in the middle of the 200 East Area, at the northeast corner of the ILAW disposal site.

Significant progress was made in the May 1990--May 1991 contract period in three primary coal liquefaction research areas: catalysis, structure-reactivity studies, and novel liquefaction processes. A brief summary of the accomplishments in the past year in each of these areas is given.

This report presents highlights of the research conducted on NERSC computers in a variety of scientific disciplines during the years 2008-2009. It also reports on changes and upgrades to NERSC's systems and services as well as activities of NERSC staff.

How to ensure the appropriate performance of our built environment in the face of normal conditions, natural hazards, and malevolent threats is an issue of emerging national and international importance. As the world population increases, new construction must be increasingly cost effective and at the same time increasingly secure, safe, and durable. As the existing infrastructure ages, materials and techniques for retrofitting must be developed in parallel with improvements in design, engineering, and building codes for new construction. Both new and renovated structures are more often being subjected to the scrutiny of risk analysis. An international conference, "Assuring the Performance of Buildings and Infrastructures," was held in May 1997 to address some of these issues. The conference was co-sponsored by the Architectural Engineering Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Institute of Architects, and Sandia National Laboratories and convened in Albuquerque, NM. Many of the papers presented at the conference are found within this issue of Techno20~. This paper presents some of the major conference themes and summarizes discussions not found in the other papers.

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This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 5 under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 5 consists of eight Corrective Action Sites (CASs): 05-15-01, Sanitary Landfill; 05-16-01, Landfill; 06-08-01, Landfill; 06-15-02, Sanitary Landfill; 06-15-03, Sanitary Landfill; 12-15-01, Sanitary Landfill; 20-15-01, Landfill; 23-15-03, Disposal Site. Located between Areas 5, 6, 12, 20, and 23 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), CAU 5 consists of unlined landfills used in support of disposal operations between 1952 and 1992. Large volumes of solid waste were produced from the projects which used the CAU 5 landfills. Waste disposed in these landfills may be present without appropriate controls (i.e., use restrictions, adequate cover) and hazardous and/or radioactive constituents may be present at concentrations and locations that could potentially pose a threat to human health and/or the environment. During the 1992 to 1995 time frame, the NTS was used for various research and development projects including nuclear weapons testing. Instead of managing solid waste at one or two disposal sites, the practice …

The U.S. wood products industry is a leader in the production of innovative wood materials. New products are taking shape within a growth industry for fiberboard, plywood, particle board, and other natural material-based energy efficient building materials. However, at the same time, standards for clean air are becoming ever stricter. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) during production of wood products (including methanol, formaldehyde, acetylaldehyde, and mercaptans) must be tightly controlled. Conventional VOC and HAP emission control techniques such as regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) and regenerative catalytic oxidation (RCO) require significant amounts of energy and generate secondary pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and spent carbon. Biological treatment of air emissions offers a cost-effective and sustainable control technology for industrial facilities facing increasingly stringent air emission standards. A novel biological treatment system that integrates two types of biofilter systems, promises significant energy and cost savings. This novel system uses microorganisms to degrade air toxins without the use of natural gas as fuel or the creation of secondary pollutants. The replacement of conventional thermal oxidizers with biofilters will yield natural gas savings alone in the range of $82,500 to $231,000 per year per unit. Widespread use of …

A Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) is the total list of the Environment, Safety and Health (ES and H) requirements to be implemented by a site, facility, or activity. These requirements are appropriate to the life cycle phase to achieve an adequate level of protection for worker and public health and safety, and the environment during design, construction, operation, decontamination and decommissioning, and environmental restoration. S/RlDs are living documents, to be revised appropriately based on change in the site`s or facility`s mission or configuration, a change in the facility`s life cycle phase, or a change to the applicable standards/requirements. S/RIDs encompass health and safety, environmental, and safety related safeguards and security (S and S) standards/requirements related to the functional areas listed in the US Department of Energy (DOE) Environment, Safety and Health Configuration Guide. The Fluor Daniel Hanford (FDH) Contract S/RID contains standards/requirements, applicable to FDH and FDH subcontractors, necessary for safe operation of Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) facilities, that are not the direct responsibility of the facility manager (e.g., a site-wide fire department). Facility S/RIDs contain standards/requirements applicable to a specific facility that are the direct responsibility of the facility manager. S/RlDs are prepared by those responsible for managing …

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The National Geoscience Data Repository System, Phase III was an operational project focused on coordinating and facilitating transfers of at-risk geoscience data from the private sector to the public domain.

First Article Tests of a stabilization method for greater than 260 mg mercury/kg oil were performed under a treatability study. This alternative treatment technology will address treatment of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) organics (mainly used pump oil) contaminated with mercury and other heavy metals. Some of the oil is also co-contaminated with tritium, other radionuclides, and hazardous materials. The technology is based on contacting the oil with a sorbent powder (Self-Assembled Mercaptan on Mesoporous Support, SAMMS), proven to adsorb heavy metals, followed by stabilization of the oil/powder mixture using a stabilization agent (Nochar N990). Two variations of the treatment technology were included in the treatability study. The SAMMS (Self-Assembled Mercaptan on Mesoporous Silica) technology was developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for removal and stabilization of RCRA metals (i.e., lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, etc.) and for removal of mercury from organic solvents [1]. The SAMMS material is based on self-assembly of functionalized monolayers on mesoporous oxide surfaces. The unique mesoporous oxide supports provide a high surface area, thereby enhancing the metal-loading capacity. SAMMS material has high flexibility in that it binds with different forms of mercury, including metallic, inorganic, organic, charged, and neutral compounds [1] The material removes …

The Environmental Analysis Section (EAS) of the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) conducted a quarterly monitoring program of the Fourmile Branch (FMB) stream and its associated seepline located down gradient from the F- and H-Area Seepage Basins from May 1992 to May 2995. The overall summary (1989-1998) indicates that the tritium plumes are surfacing in somewhat localized areas along the F-Area and 643-E seeplines.