This report provides an estimation of cost and manpower for construction of the Hanford Isotopes Production Plant.

This letter provides information on a proposed peaceful use of nuclear explosives (Project Sulky)with regard to nuclear excavation for an Isthmian canal. Nuclear explosion detection, radioactivity release, details of the changes in the experimental plan, and Pike venting analysis are included.

The United States Atomic Energy Commission authorized the production of 110 kg of U-233 by the irradiation of thorium oxide in the Hanford production reactors. This irradiation will be carried out by replacing the natural uranium fuel in all or a portion of the process tubes in several of the reactors with thorium oxide (thoria) and slightly enriched uranium. This reactor loading is referred to as an ``E-Q load.`` Reactor loadings are separated into two types which can be charged independently of each other: a mixed lattice in the central zone of the reactor in which enriched uranium (0.947 per cent uranium-235) and thoria are loaded in separate process tubes in uniform array with a fuel-to-target ratio of about 5.5--6.0 to 1 (core E-Q load), and a peripheral ring of thoria in the outermost process tubes of the reactor with the reactivity being supplied by enriched uranium (0.947 per cent uranium-235) in the process tubes in the immediately adjacent two lattice units (blanket E-Q load). This safety analysis is addressed to the core E-Q load; however, the specific fringe loading, with properly matched reactivity, has little effect on the basic physics and hydraulics of the reactor so the evaluation presented …

Pre event data and post event data are provided for aerial radiological monitoring associated with the Pike Event, which was reported to have resulted in an immediate venting.

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Four KVNS production fuel elements which had operated for 66 days were submitted to the Radiometallurgy Laboratory for examination after being subjected to unusual conditions during shutdown. It was believed that the elements may have been at elevated temperatures for as long as 4-1/2 hours after shutdown. An abnormal film which appeared to be boiler scale was observed on some of the elements when they were examined in the basin immediately after discharge. Four elements were selected for metallurgical examination to determine whether they had been overheated and to assess any resulting damage or change.

This report provides reactor physics calculations for prompt burst reactors similar to the Los Alamos SUPO reactor. A discussion of the water boiler runaway at Hanford on November 15, 1951 is also provided.

The continuing concern with efficient utilization of manpower at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the seemingly high cost of individual nuclear shots, together with the recent evolution of the L-12 scope, generated some fresh thoughts concerning more efficient procedures for the `average` test. Every time anyone looks at the problem., they tend to analyze the existing conventional approach and try to find the one or two most expensive and `lossy` factors in the can of worms. Usually this turns out to be a problem within the realm of specialization of the particular analyst! People not so directly concerned with the program tend to look for, or wish for, or even `invent` miracles`. Our present techniques appear to be the sum (and possibly even the product) of many small contributions which have all been beaten down to the same level of importance. Such a situation in any systemic problem is usually symptomatic of the need for fairly violent departures in the aver-all system approach, at least in thinking. This report proposes and details a modular nuclear testing concept.

This report consists of three sections covering the three major areas of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory`s participation in Operation Crosscheck. These areas are: Diagnostic Aircraft; Radiochemical Sampling; and Device Assembly and Handling, Barbers Point. The information contained in these sections has been extracted from Crosscheck post-operation reports.

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Samples of M1 single-base propellant were exposed to 10{sup 5}, 10{sup 6}, and 10{sup 7}r of Co{sup 60} gamma rays. Burning rates were determined over a pressure range of 600 to 2600 psi at -40{degrees}, 21{degrees}, and 71{degrees}C. A statistical study indicated no significant change in the burning rate and a small but statistically significant increase (6%) in the exponential factor n after the 10{sup 7}r dose. Visible deterioration resulted, as the color changed from yellow to dark brown and the surface became uneven. In view of these marked visible effects, the slight change in burning rate is surprising. One sample exposed to 5 {times} 10{sup 8}r showed severe blistering, swelling, and contraction, and embrittlement causing fracture. Nitrogen Taliani tests conducted at 110{degrees}C indicated that the decomposition rate is decreased by exposure to 10{sup 5}r, is decreased less by 10{sup 6}r, and remains unchanged after 10{sup 7}r exposure. Chemical analysis showed that the percentage of 2-nitrodiphenylamine increases with dose by a factor of 7 at 10{sup 7}r, while, at the same time, the nitrogen content of the nitrocellulose decreases with increasing dose. This indicates that a substantial part of the nitrocellulose decomposition product had reacted with the diphenylamine stabilizer. It …

Several samples of HMX to be used in LX-04-1 were particle sized and reported in this report. Most of the lots sized were very similar, with the major differences in the lots being at 2{micro}. Several counts in ``Rainbow`` Lot 26B of LX-04-1, made to obtain a color and weight distribution in several samples, and also a color count made in each sieve on a granulation analysis, show each color to be equally distributed; i.e., {approx} one-third of each color, green, yellow and white LX-04-1 granules, was present in the sample. Photographs and particle size curves of recrystallized PETN used in LX-02-1 are presented. These data were obtained by examining the original PETN used in a lot of LX-02-1, then performing several milling operations and recovering the PETN from the binder for another examination. The majority of the PETN appears to be crushed or broken in the first six passes on the three-roll mill with smaller changes taking place in the two-roll mill. The final {Pi} shows most of the PETN to be concentrated in the 4 to 8{micro} region. Photographs of two production lots of LX-02-1 subjected to a milling operation are also included. A description of the procedure …

This project is the development of plane wave explosive lenses better than currently available baratol lenses in simultaneity. An additional objective is to minimize pressure differences across the output plane.

This work is for the development of testing methods and determination of physical properties of H.E. formulations. An eight-cycle bulk compliance test on LX-04-1 produced a gain in density of 0.017 gm/cc from an average starting-density of 1.858 gm/cc, net gain of .810 gm/cc after one month storage. A group of tensile specimens were tested on three test machines in three locations (Baldwin at LRL, Instrom in Pantex Engineering and Tinius Olsen in Pantex Development), using specimens from a single pressing. The tests showed that these machines are able to produce similar results and are not extremely operator sensitive. It has been determined that LX-04-1 will not flow well enough at a loading of 50 psi to produce orientation grooves for pents. A tabulation of density, tensile strength, strain at ultimate stress, granule size and HMX particle size has been compiled for evaluating the several powder lots of LX-04-1 which have been used. Density and tensile strength appear to be better when PBX 9404 is pressed in the 300-ton (ram) press than it was for the same lot of material which was pressed in the 20-inch hydrostatic press.

This project consists of (1) essentially routine experimentation, including evaluation of detonation velocity, gap sensitivity testing, and drop weight-impact machine testing; and (2) an experimental program whose goal is the development of high precision one and two-dimensional hydrodynamic data for use in establishing empirical detonation product equations of state.

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This project has as its purpose the evaluation of argon flash candle components and factors which affect candle light output. This will be done by measuring the intensity of the light output simultaneously as a function of wave length and time.

Emphasis was placed this quarter on the manufacture of extrudable explosives. This included the recrystallization of PETN which was used to manufacture two batches of LX-02-1 and one batch of RX-02-AK. The materials were examined for composition, extrudability and burning via detonation velocity. Also, a Sunburst and Sunray were performed on the first batch of LX-02 made. Results were all satisfactory except for detonation velocity; some of the channels were yielding somewhat erratic results which could be due either to the test or incomplete mixing. The recrystallization of PETN progressed satisfactorily and the final crystals as viewed under the microscope had the expected appearance.

A controlled series of experiments have been performed in an attempt to evaluate the Henkin time-to-explosion test as a reactivity test and a quality assurance tool. This was done by comparing the Henkin results with those obtained with the presently used gas chromatograph chemical reactivity test, Two explosives, PBX 9404 and LX-04-1, were tested with four ``inerts``: sodium chloride, lead powder, Silastic Q-300030 and epoxy 633111. The experimental data from the two tests are given; a method for mathematically reducing the Henkin data is considered. The data from the two tests are not in complete agreement. Both predict that the epoxy is reactive with and that NaCl is unreactive with both explosives. However, the Henkin data indicated reactivity of lead powder and Silastic with LX-04-1; the gas chromatograph did not. For PBX 9404, the Henkin test indicated that the lead was borderline reactive and the Silastic unreactive, while the gas chromatograph predicted the opposite. DTA thermograms are included to help interpret the comparison test results. A section in the appendix is devoted to the experimental problems encountered in getting the Henkin test operational. All raw data generated during that time are included in the appendix. In addition, data obtained subsequently …

A heat aging study in which tensile specimens (aluminum-to-aluminum and aluminum-to-LX-04-1 with Aerobond H-7) were heated to 165 F and aged up to three months has been completed. Aerobond H-7 showed no signs of deterioration when treated in this manner. Butyl glycidyl ether and benzene were tested as diluents for Aerobond H-7; butyl glycidyl ether is an effective diluent but benzene appeared to promote an exotherm. Water permeabilities were remeasured for Adiprene, Aerobond H-7, and Estane to resolve the questionable data gathered earlier. Kel-F, Perm-A-Lon, and Aerobond H-7 are by far the most impermeable to water. The disc extrudability test was run on the new lot of LX-02-1, A-335, both milled and unmilled materials.

Data from sieve analyses of HMX and HMX recovered from LX-04-1 has been compiled for correlation to quality parameters. Particle size distributions on HMX received from LRL have been completed along with other HMX lots specified by them. Sieve analysis of recrystallized PETN was obtained using the now normal procedure for HMX. A statistical investigation of production LX-04-1 examined the dependence of density, elongation, and ultimate tensile strength on particle size distributions ({Pi}) and Viton content. The {Pi} was found to correlate well with density, increases in fines decreasing density. An experimental to determine the effect of binder solvent on HMX {Pi} during removal of Viton from pressed LX-04-1 was performed. This study has indicated no drastic effect on the distribution by the length of time the binder solvent is on the material. HMX and recrystallized PETN surface area measurements obtained form the Perkin-Elmer sorptometer are tabulated in this report. Recrystallized PETN has been examined under the microscope and counts made on the number of crystals with given shape. A frequency distribution was calculated for each group present in a 1 mm{sup 2} area. Experiments to determine the extent of grinding or reduction of particle size of HMX agitated in …

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It has been suggested that metallic vacuum chambers might be suitable for pulsed magnets operating at audio frequencies, with pulse widths nominally 1/360 sec. In the present note calculations are given for a simple model of such a system, in order to estimate the effects of field attenuation and eddy current losses. The results of the calculation may be summarized briefly as follows, where the results apply to a cylindrical chamber of non-maeyletic stainless steel, 3.0 cm in inside diameter and 0.15 an wall thickness: (1) With steady-state harmonic excitation, the field in the interior Is reduced by a factor of {approximately} 1.03 at 2,000 cps compared to dc; (2) With transient operation, the exponential decay time is about 0.021 millisecond; (3) With square-wave excitation, at 200 gauss and 180 pps, the power dissipation in the stainless steel is about 24 watts/foot, or about a factor of 20 less if half-sine-wave pulses are used instead of square pulses. These results seem encouraging enough to warrant experimental investigation of this type of vacuum chamber for pulsed steering.

Irradiation-induced moderator distortion has plagued the Hanford reactors from their earliest days until the present. The first-manifestation of graphite distortion was in the form of expansion of the B, D and F stacks. It was found that expansion was very temperature-dependent and could be reversed by raising the graphite operating temperature. The DR, H, C and K Reactors were designed with provisions to minimize, or accommodate expansion. It was not until after the K Reactors had been designed that graphite contraction was recognized as a threat to stack life. Under the present operating conditions, contraction is largely dependent upon neutron flux levels. To date, this study has been largely concerned with the K Reactors, since the vast bulk of the distortion data available is from the Ks. This study not only attempts to explain the mechanisms by which the K Reactors arrived at their present state of distortion but also provides a basis for forecasting future distortion. An understanding of the nature and magnitude of the forces at work within the stacks will enhance the possibility of devising means of conteracting the present trends.