This document consists of three photographs of ruptured fuel elements. The position, date charged, date failed, exposure, power, lot and failure type are given for tube 3655-KE, tube 4153-KE, and tube 3849-KE. (GHH)

This memorandum provides an estimate of the uranium requirements for the third and fourth quarters of calendar year 1955.

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Research and development work on the removal of specific fission products from aqueous wastes has been in progress at the Hanford Atomic Products operation for several years. Initially, the primary incentive lay in the safe and economic disposal of these wastes. Scavenging techniques were developed which permitted the precipitation of the long-lived and biologically hazardous fission products cesium and strontium and the subsequent discharge of the supernates to the soil. Recently, interest has increased in the recovery of specific fission products for use in industry. Accordingly, research and development efforts have been expanded to include the search for economic processes for the isolation of specific fission products from Hanford wastes. The processes and techniques thus far developed are logical outgrowths of the scavenging processes currently being used in the disposal of Hanford wastes. The Hanford Operations Office directed a letter of inquiry to the General Electric Company requesting an appraisal of the feasibility of isolating and packaging radiocesium from Hanford wastes. In accordance with this request, the Engineering Department conducted a brief survey to determine the process, engineering, and economic feasibility of recovering specific fission products from Hanford waste solutions. This document presents the combined efforts of personnel from Chemical …

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A detailed description is given of a Monte Carlo method and the accompanying IBM 704 program for the determination of the gamma energy loss distribution in the central cell of a proposed infinitely long heterogeneous reactor. (auth)

Adequate mixing (80 lb/min or higher) of the core and blanket high pressure systems can be accomplished either by interconnecting the chemical plant process lines or by connecting the sample access holes of the core and pressure vessels. The cross connection of the chemical plant process lines would probably be the easiest to install and control, but if the stagnant space in the blanket corrosion sample port requires purging it is recommended that a connection between the access holes be made. (auth)

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This report describes the operation of the fuels preparation department for the month of May, 1957. Manufacturing, employee relations, process development, plant improvements, and financial operations are described.

>A continuous process for the reduction of uranium hexafluoride to uranium tetrafluoride was developed and proved on a pilot-plant scale. Complete conversion to uranium tetrafluoride was realized by contacting gaseous uranium hexafluoride with hydrogen in a heated, vertical, open-tube reactor. The purity and density of the solid product met metal grade uranium tetrafluoride specifications. Some difficulty with the accumulation of fused uranium fluorides in the tower was encountered, however, and it was necessary to stop and desing the unit about every 8 to 24 hours. The reaction of uranium hexafluoride with gaseous trichloroethylene was stadied before the tests with hydrogen were made. Although the reduction to uranium tetrafluoride was complete, the solid product was highly contaminated with the organic by-products of the reaction and was quite low in density. Tests of this method were discontinued when promising results were obtained with hydrogen as the reductant. (auth)

Calibrations have resulted in conflicting data for the yield of neutrons from a teflon-polonium solution interface. The installation of the continuous DRUHM reaction system is approximately 60% complete. The Fluorox fluidized bed reactor was operated continuously for 12 hr, producing 1.6 Kg of UF/sub 6/. In homogeneous reactor studies, installation of a mock-up for in-pile slurry bomb heat removal tests was completed. From material balances, about 21/2 g of plutonium remain in loop P-1 after repeated washing and descaling treatments. A Sharples Model P-4 Super-DCanter was adequate for continuously discharging ThO/ sub 2/ cake and clarified supernate. In ion exchange studies, data were obtained on the complex ion equilibria in uranyl sulfate solutions. A continuous self- sustaining Darex dissolution and stripping run of 46 hr duration was made. In a hydrochlorination run of 35 hr duration, 97.4% of a 4.39 kg section of a STR subassembly was reacted with anhydrous HCI gas with a uranium loss to the sublimate of 0.095%. The studies of the dissolution of duminy zirconium fuel elements in fused salt with HF were continued at increased HF velocities. In waste processing studies, the design of an adiabatic self-sintering experiment is 90% complete and the construction of …