Information is presented in threc main sections: nuclear and radiochemistry. physical and organic chemistry, and process chemistry. Included is an investigation of naturally occurring Pu for isotopes other than Pu/sup 239/ , an examination of Mallinckrodt wastes for Ac/sup 227/ the half life of Pa/sup 240/ the cross section of Np /sup 237/ and a study of Np isomers, studies of various Tc and Re compounds, coincidence of interference in a pulse analyzer, absorption of neutrons in a sphere. separation of tritium and hydrogen, spectrophotometric studies of Pa, studies of salt-mixed solvent systems. spectra of ferric complexes, separation of Pu and Np. oxidation of Np(IV by Fe(III). magnetic susceptibilities of actinic compounds, Np(V) compounds. thermal decomposition of UO/sub 3/, physical properties of metal chloridephosphorus oxychloride systems, a continuous chromatographic adsorption method, fluoride volatility separations, fluorination of Th, Zr. Al. and Zr- U alloys, electrolysis of BrF/sub 3/ solutions, decontamination studies including U- Te separations, Pa volatility experiments, extraction of ionium from Mallinckrodt raffinate, and isolation of Pa from the ionium waste stream. (J.R.D.)

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The Metal Conversion Process described herein is designed to handle the combined output of decontaminated uranium from both the Redox and T.B.P. processes. Thus the design rate is 13-1/8 short tons per day. The bulk of the equipment is to be installed in the presently unused 224-U Building. The process has been divided into three steps: (1) acid recovery and uranyl nitrate concentration; (2) uranyl nitrate conversion; (3) waste metal recovery product receivers. The major items of equipment and flows thru the plant are shown on the attached Engineers` Flow Sketches, numbered SK-2-50005, SK-2-50006, and SK-2-50047.

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This report discusses the following topics: (1) radium separation from K-65 residues - laboratory scale; (2) fractional crystallization studies barium - radium; (3) the concentration of radium from barium rich mixtures; (4) the coprecipitation of lead and radium sulfate; (5) the separation of radium and barium by ion-exchange; (6) engineering work on separation of radium from K-65 residues; (7) silica removal, corrosion tests; (8) radon counting; (9) the design of equipment for the measurements of radon in breath and air samples; and (10) proportional counting of radioactive gas.

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This monthly report details the 100 Area technical activities of the Physics Group for the month of May 1950.

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Definite identification has been made of an isotope of the element with atomic number 98 through the irradiation of Cm{sup 242} with about 35-Mev helium ions in the Berkeley Crocker Laboratory 60-inch cyclotron. The isotope which has been identified has an observed half-life of about 45 minutes and is thought to have the mass number 244. The observed mode of decay of 98{sup 244} is through the emission of alpha-particles, with energy of about 7.1 Mev, which agrees with predictions. Other considerations involving the systematics of radioactivity in this region indicate that it should also be unstable toward decay by electron capture. The chemical separation and identification of the new element was accomplished through the use of ion exchange adsorption methods employing the resin Dowex-50. The element 98 isotope appears in the eka-dysprosium position on elution curves containing berkelium and curium as reference points--that is, it precedes berkelium and curium off the column in like manner that dysprosium precedes terbium and gadolinium. The experiments so far have revealed only the tripositive oxidation state of eka-dysprosium character and suggest either that higher oxidation states are not stable in aqueous solutions or that the rates of oxidation are slow. The successful identification …

As titanium, zirconium, and other of the high melting electropositive metals become more important, the problem of using suitable refractory materials for their casting becomes more important. This paper discusses the method of choosing and testing possible container materials. To make the discussion more specific, titanium is used as an example. As titanium melt at 2000 {+-} 10 K, it is immediately clear that one is restricted to refractory materials melting considerably above 2000 K. This greatly limits the possible materials that might be considered. The possibility of using any pure high melting element can be quickly eliminated as titanium reacts quite vigorously with non-metals such as carbon and due to its high boiling point and therefore high internal pressure, one can predict that it dissolves even the most refractory metals. Examination of phase diagrams confirms that even metals such as tantalum, tungsten, and rhenium would not be able to resist attack by titanium. One is thus limited to high melting compounds such as the oxides, sulfides, nitrides, carbides, silicides, and borides. The first consideration is that, if possible, one would use a compound which is thermodynamically stable in the presence of titanium metal at 2000 K. Titanium should not …

This report consists of graphs and charts exhibited at the Chemical Development Section Deentrainment Seminar on June 2, 1950.

This is a progress report of the production reactors on the Hanford Reservation for the month of May 1950. This report takes each division (e.g., manufacturing, medical, accounting, occupational safety, security, reactor operations, etc.) of the site and summarizes its accomplishments and employee relations for that month.

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As the result of repeated over tolerance monitoring samples taken by H.I. Survey in Room 7 of 2228 Bldg., 200 East Area, an Industrial Hygiene study of the air contamination in this room has been made at the request of the H.I. Area Supervisor. Observations made during the preliminary survey and throughout the study indicate that the ventilation system together with the decontamination operations; slurping operation, Goldberg operation, and certain activities during bench determination of process examples, are the major contributors to contamination in the room. While it is felt that the major sources of contamination have been pointed out, there are many specific operations that have not been studies. Recommendations include: Replace the air supply grills with air diffusers, so that air will be supplied to the laboratory without drafts; Provide hoods over the decontamination sinks large enough to accommodate all manipulations involved in decontamination procedures and with sufficient exhaust ventilation that will maintain a minimum face velocity of 200fpm; Provide a hood over the slurper, larger enough to accommodate all manipulations, and ventilation to maintain a minimum of 200fpm at the hood face and any other openings; Provide an enclosure over the Goldberg such that positive exhaust ventilation …

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On June 14, 1950, an aluminum Kanne Chamber on the 108-B vacuum discharge line was placed in operation. The vacuum pump discharge line chamber has a very poor reputation for two reasons: 1. An apparent hysteresis effect which shows as a high reading after a slug of gas has passed through it, and 2. Failure to return to background current. Cause of the hysteresis effect may be the distribution of tritium in the vacuum pump discharge gas. The rate of gas flow through the Kanne chamber is approximately ten cubic feet per minute. In order to determine steps necessary to eliminate chamber contamination, the existence of contamination must first be definitely established by measuring chamber background with an uncontaminated air filling at intervals during routine use. Monitor chamber currents are now recorded on a multiple point recorder with a cycle time of approximately four minutes, a long wait which is annoying and may mask transient phenomena almost completely. The following steps are recommended to facilitate the necessary stack gas measurements: 1. Provide clean air flushing facilities for both Kanne chambers on the vacuum pump discharge line. 2. Replace existing recorder with continuous recording facilities for each point.

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This report describes contamination in the 100, 200, and 300 areas at Hanford in 1956.

This report discusses progress made by the Physical Chemistry Group and Pile Engineering Groups. Topics covered are as follows: x-ray studies--tube bore mining; physical expansion of capsule exposures; special capsule exposures; pile annealing; thermal conductivity and pile annealing; total stored energy; Sykes stored energy method; slug corrosion rate; effect of pressure drop on slug corrosion; exposure of P-10 fuel slugs; slug corrosion weight loss variables; vertical safety rod thimble corrosion; front tube corrosion; magnesium corrosion program; thimble corrosion program; horizontal thimble removal; metal exposure production tests; special pile measurements; carbon dioxide; H pile power level increase; vertical thimble temperature; graphite core samples; nine tube mock-up; and required header pressure.

A coincidence circuit using the traveling wave principle as applied to distributed amplification is described. The resolving time is about 10{sup -8} sec. when the device is used in connection with scintillation detectors.

Brief summaries are given for each of the following activities for this two month period: (1) high water pressure channel (ANL-140); (2) KAPL fuel element tests (SR-79, Beta Experiment); (3) underwater facility for opening slugs; (4) strength of masonite at elevated temperatures; and (5) controlled temperature of graphite.

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The Hanford metal wastes were divided into four categories: supernate - the liquid waste; hard sludge - dense agglomerates of poorly defined crystalline carbonates approximating the hardness of soft blackboard chalk; soft sludge - an easily slurried semi-solid consisting chiefly of needle-like phosphates; and recombined sludge - a representative sample of the solid wastes as received from Hanford, shown to be a mixture of hard and soft sludges in the ratio 2/3 by weight. The density of supernate, in the temperature range 24 to 74/sup 0/C, varied from 1.130 to 1.103 g/ml. Hard sludge density averaged 3.0 g/ml and that of soft sludge averaged 1.84 g/ml. The consistency, or apparent viscosity, as a function of temperature, shear rate, and solids content was measured individually on slurries of recombined, soft, and hard sludges using supernate as the suspending medium. Settling rates were also run on these 3 slurries as a function of solids content.

The historical approach to the separation of radon from water is liberation of the radon from the sample by boiling under vacuum in the presence of a strong acid; flushing the liberated radon, with an inert gas, into an ionization chamber or an alpha proportional counters and measuring the collected activity. Such an analysis requires a manipulation time of approximately one hour, a waiting period of two to three hours before measurement to allow transitory equilibrium to be reached, and finally a measurement time, resulting in 4 to 6 hours for one analysis. In addition, specialized equipment including a vacuum train is required. If it is desired to count the alpha particles from radon and its daughters in a proportional counter, absorption trains to remove all oxygen, a poor counting gas, are required. The method presented herein requires only 20--25 minutes for a complete analysis and except for the beta counter utilizes standard laboratory equipment.