The status of development studies being conducted on a pebble bed power reactor is outlined. The items discussed are fuel element manufacture, stability, and reprocessing, and component development. (D.L.C.)

The General Electric Company has prepared in past years numerous documents for the Atomic Energy Commission outlining in some detail its current and proposed programs at Hanford. Last year, at the request of the commission, program types of information were consolidated into one document, the HAPO Five Year Program. That document was well received and useful to an extent that the General Electric Company was requested by the Commission to prepare another covering the fiscal years 1959 through 1963. In outlining the five year program for the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, the General Electric Company has made assumptions regarding the US Atomic Energy Commission`s current and future programs and Hanford`s relationship to these programs. Two major objectives of the Commission were considered basic for future planning: first, to provide adequate atomic weapons for national defense; and second, to encourage and assist in the development of atomic energy for peaceful uses. The Hanford contributions to these objectives are conceived to include the acquisition and potential application of new technology in support of: (1) Increased production of plutonium, as nitrate solution, buttons, and as current and future shapes. (2) A program that will provide the technological capability to implement broad changes in …

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In this document it is proposed to describe the plant site and to outline the nature of the pile in order to show the specific design and layout requirements for the production of plutonium by nuclear synthesis. The selection of the plant site involved a number of special considerations. An essential requirement was a large dependable supply of relatively pure water that remains at a fairly low temperature throughout the year. A large source of power was required to circulate the tremendous quantities of water. The potential dangers connected with the high energies of the nuclear reaction and the formation of a large quantity of radioactive by- products required large distances between each operating section of the plant, and between the plant and main rail and highway routes. The plant site layout and reactor areas are discussed in the first part of the chapter, followed by a functional description of the more essential pile components. The chapter concludes with a discussion of reactor instrumentation. 24 figs., 2 tabs.

These two parts were issued separately, but are cataloged as a unit. The two compounds Na/sub 4/U/sub 3/F/sub 17/ and Na/sub 3/Th/sub 2/F/sub 11/ were found to have a face-centered cubic structure. From parameter dimensions and intensity values these two compounds appear to be isomorphous. Na/sub 5/U/sub 3/F/sub 17/ has an identical cell size with alpha -Na/sub 2//UF/sub 6/. A group of three compounds (Rb/sub 2/ThF/sub Rb/sub 2/ZrF/sub 6/, and CsZrF/sub 6/) were reliably identified as being uniaxial by use of their optical properties. These compounds were tentatively indexed on the basis of data obtained from powder x-ray spectrometer patterns found to best fit a hexagonal unit cell. (W.L.H.)

A compilation of available data on the spectra of thorium is presented, including energy levels and classified lines with Zeeman effects and isotope shifts, as well as certain data on unclassified lines. The present status of knowledge of these spectra is discussed. (auth)

Fission products, which may leak from the fuel and activated corrosion products from stainless steel surfaces, influence the design of several systems which support the main coolant system. Since the radioactivity in the main coolant resulting from these impurities must be limited to reasonable levels during operation, a purification system becomes important. Air conditioning of the vapor container as a result of possible main coolant leakage may be necessary during and after operation to remove airborne activity. After shutdown, treatment and disposal of active effluents becomes the function of a waste disposal system. Activities are tabulated, by individual isotopes, for 10,000 hours of full power operation. (auth)

The results of laboratory studies on sodium carbonate ion exchange are shown. The effect of salt concentration, uranium concentration, and possible interference with ion exchange from vanadium, molybdenum, sulfate and chloride are discussed. Various elution systems and the effect of residual uranium are described. A short discussion of ammonium carbonate ion exchange is also presented. (auth)

ABS>A series of seven flowsheet demonstrations of the Volatility Process was performed using nonirradiated material. In this series (a) the Pilot Pland was proven to be operable but not sufficiently reliable for remote operation; (b) the feasibility of a bed of NaF pellets as a trap for Cr aad Zr fluorides was demonstrated; and (c) the most desirable fluorine flow rate for fluorination of molten salt in the existing equipment was determined to be in the range 10 to 30 std. liters per min. (auth)

The steady-state energy distribution is obtained for a group of initially monoenergetic charged particles slowing down in a filly ionized gas. The distribution function is obtained analytically by solving the FokkerPlanck equation in energy space. With reference to thermonuclear reactions, the results obtained suggest that in some situations the contribution of the slowingdown distribution to the reaction rate may be significant. (auth)

The head-end system for the ARE salt was tested with barren salt and shown to be operable. Transfer of the final batch of salt by gravity flow from the bold tank was shown to be feasible with a redesigned feed salt freeze valve. The CRP trap was also redesigned but the remote dumping mechanism did not function properly. (auth)

The study of the toxicity of radium and radium decay products was continued. Special emphasis was placed on the acquisition of data on patients selected by record of exposure. Data are tabulated on the radium body burden of about 40 individuals. About half the measurements were made on living persons and about half on tooth or bone specimens. Case history summaries and all available medical data are summarized for persons under study. An investigation of the gamma shielding properties of dunite was continued. Design modifications and calibration of radiation detection instruments are discussed. (For preceding period see AECU-3504.) (C.H.)

Unclassified Engineering Materials List, TM-4100(lst Rev.), is a catalog of available U. S. Atomic Energy Commission unclassified engineering drawing materials on the peaceful applications of atomic energy. The engineering literature described in this publication includes drawing, specifications, photographs, bill of materials, cost analysis, design criteria, psrts lists, and supporting textual data. This consolidated list m- cludes all materials originally announced in TM-4100, January 1957, and TID-4100, Supplement 1, July 1957, and additional engineering data received and cataloged by TlSE after the original issuances. The entire publication, TID-4100 lst Revision Supplement 1, is devoted to the Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor. (W.L.H.)

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A new method of introducing predetermined quantities of hydrogen into zirconium was developed and evaluated. The procedure is simple, effective, and inherently good in preverting oxygen and nitrogen contamination. Zirconium samples containing four levels of dissolved hydrogenated to 100, 300, 3500, and 7700 ppm hydrogen. Dissolved oxygen was found to decrease hydrogen absorption in both the alpha and beta modifications of zirconium. The effect of hydrogen on density, hardness, and microstructure was determined. X-ray-diffraction measurements were also obtained. (auth)

The compound RbU/sub 6/F/sub 25/ has a hexagonal crystal structure with the parameters a/sub o/ = 8.195 plus or minus 0.002 A and c/sub o/ = 16.437 plus or minus 0.002 A. This compound is believed to be isomorphous to KU/sub 6/F/sub 25/ and KTh/sub 6/F/sub 25/. (auth) uranium hexafluoride -chlorine trifluoride -hydrogen fluoride from a knowledge of the behavior of the three binary systems. The conditions under which chlorine trifluoride and hydrogen fluoride could be removed from uranium hexafluoride by fractional distillation are discussed. (auth)

The thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) extraction method has been investigated for the determination of microgram concentrations of thorium in uranium ores and concertrates. The tolerance limits for eighteen elements commonly found in uranium ore concentrates were established. The effect of phosphate on estraction of thorium was studied. Cobalt, copper, tin, and bismuth were found to seriously interfere with the Thoron method for the determination of thorium after a TTA extraction. A TTA extraction method is described for the separation of thorium and uranium from the interfering ions, employing preliminary acid sulfide and ammonium hydroxide separations. The method is rapid, and results obtained compare favorably with results obtained with other procedures. (auth)

The objectives of the conference were to accomplish an interchange of information and study the determination of contact resistance. The effect of contacts on AEC production problems is discussed. Otber discussions are presented one applications of contact devices, present testing criteria, materials and process variables, process controls, and future development plans. (T.R.H.

Originally issued as S and P 1963A, Parts I and II. A design and feasibility study of a pebble bed reactorsteam power plant is presented, The reactor design which evolved from this study is a 125 Mwe heliumcooled two-region thermal breeder, operating on the uranium-thorium cycle, in which all core structural materials are graphite. Fuel is in the form of unclad spherical elements of graphite, containing fissile and fertile material. The primary loop consists of the reactor plus three steam generators and blowers in parallel. Nuclear characteristics, costs, etc., are given. (W.D.M.)

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The theory of energy transfer between charged particles in a fully ionized gas is reviewed, and calculations are made of the rate at which energy is transferred from electrons at a temperature T to cooler ions. The interaction between ion and electron is assumed to be of the Debye form (Ze/r) exp (-r/ lambda ), where lambda is the Debye shielding length. It is suggested that future improvements of the theory of Coulomb interaclions in ionized gases are likely to be made in two ways: through employing an effective potential derived on the basis of quantum statistics for the electrons and through improvements in the two-body approximation to the many-body problem. (auth)

For presentation at the American Chemical Society's Nuclear Technology Symposium, Boston, Apr. 5-10, Information is presented from studies with materials and conditions simulating those expected in anm aqueous homogeneous reactor for the formation of insoluble corrosion and fission products in aqueous UO/sub 2/ SO/sub 4/ solutions used as a reactor fuel. Sulfate salts which become insoluble as the temperature inereases deposited preferentially and reversibly on hot walls. Oxides from hydrolysis of sulfate salts deposit on any surfaces while insoluble corrosion products released into the solution show variable degrees of circulation. (auth)

This bibliography is a compilation of titles to unclassified reports, journal articles, and conference papers. The individual papers are divided into sections according to the year in which they appeared. (M.H.R.)