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A summary of work is presented from the 234-5 Development Group, September 1, 1950, with regard to the feasibility of transferring the plutonium processing solution, without evaporation, to the Purification Building. Critical factors identified were the concentration of the nitric acid and temperature.

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At HAPO the protection of employees from nuclear radiations has paralleled or preceded the emphasis on atomic products production. The production of atomic products on the scale for which HAPO was designed presented voluminous problems in employee education, radiation detection, shielding, and indeed, fundamental research to determine working limits for the various types of radiation exposure which would necessarily be encountered, and to determine working limits for the deposition of radioactive isotopes and mixtures of isotopes in the human body. Since the time radioactive materials first arrived at HAPO and the start-up of the first HAPO reactor on February 23, 1944, there has been a fundamental philosophy that all employee exposure to nuclear radiations should be maintained at a minimum, as opposed to just some level of exposure below the accepted permissible limit. It was with this philosophy in mind that the many achievements and advances in the science of radiation protection at HAPO have been forthcoming. These advances in radiation protection ar discussed in this report.

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This document is an addendum to DC 56-8-167 and gives a description of the proposed Navy nuclear seaplane program and the objectives of the X211 engine study program.

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A proposal by ``S`` Division that operations be simplified by adding fixed amounts of calcium and iodine in the reduction step as a time saving device has been investigated. Ten test runs in the 410--430 gram range have been compared with twenty normal runs made in this period. The average yields were 98.27% for the normal method and 98.26% for the test runs. No effect on individual yields by the variance in percent calcium and the iodine ratio was observed. Seventy percent of the runs normally fall into the 410--430 gram range. By controlled compositing of the feed batches, it should be possible to increase the percentage of the PuF{sub 4} runs that fall in this range.

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Static overpressure and dynamic pressure versus time over surfaces processing different physical properties were measured on two tower shots, 6 and 12. On Shot 12, three surfaces were provided: the natural desert, a water surface consisting of a flooded area, and an asphalt surface. On Shot 6, desert and asphalt areas only were available. There were 123 channels of instrumentation installed for Shot 12, and 24 for Shot 6. From the data, a system of wave-form classification was devised for overpressure and dynamic-pressure- versus-time measurements. Incorporation of this system into data analysios indicates that it is possible for an ideal peak pressure to be identified with a nonideal wave form. Introducing both variables, wave form and peak pressure, into analyses reduces ambiguioties associoated with comparing results of different nuclear tests. The data show the effect of the nature of the surface upon airblast phenomena from a nuclear explosion. The effects of surface conditions upon shock phenomena are made more understandable by a review of temperature computatioons, using shock wave parameters in addition to an analysis based upon the arrioval time of the thermal pulse. A phenomenological discussion of precursor formation is presented, and comparisons are made using data from all …

On June 6, 1958, KW Operations had HCR Channel No. 16 borescoped to determine why this rod could not be inserted on May 3. Observations revealed 3X balls in the channel and horizontal separation between graphite blocks ranging from 1/2 inch to 2 1/4 inch. The separations were noted only in the first fifteen feet in from the outer skin and in the last five feet of the channel. As a result of these findings and past operational difficulties with certain HCR`s at both KE and KW Reactors, a program of measurements is in progress to determine the extent and causes of the stack displacements. From measurements and observations so far obtained, the following conclusions may be drawn about separations at locations of consequence to the loss of 3X balls from channels: Side to side horizontal separations totaling two to three inches have been observed at both reactors. The significant separations lie outside of the VSR pattern and in the lower half of the stack. The VSR pattern does not include the six outer ball 3X channels. There are probably a few small separations (< 1/2 inch) at the outer VSR`s. There are probably no separations large enough to admit …

ABS>A method for determination of submicrogram quantities of Al in reactor cooling water by neutron activation analysis is described. Data obtained in analyses of samples from the OKR and the Bulk Shielding Reactor are included. (J.R.0.)

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A compilation is given of analytical procedures used in the laboratory- scale separation of radium from sulfateinsoluble residues from African pitchblende processing. Included in five alternate procedures are quantitative analyses for silica, lead, copper, molybdenum, barium, nickel, calcium, magnesium, radium, moisture, water-solubles, nitrate, silver, manganese, zinc, carbon dioxide, sulfate, and chromium. (auth)

Analytical programs have been described for uranium recovery processes for aluminum-uranium and zirconiumuranium reactor fuel elements. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the analytical program for the uranium recovery process involving stainless steel-uranium reactor fuel elements. The recovery process consists of a two step dissolution and the regular liquid-liquid solvent extraction using TBP in kerosene. Sulfuric acid is used to dissolve the stainless steel. As a result of the sulfuric acid dissolution the uranium is converted to a slurry. The uranium slurry is then dlssolved in nitric acid. After the nitric acid dissolution the feed material is compatible with the extraction columns used at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant for other type fuel elements previously described. In order to analyze samples of dissolver solutions for constituents necessary for plant operation, three new analytical methods were developed. These methods are a rapid method for determining uranium, one for nitrate and one for sulfate. Methods are described for urarium, acidity, specific gravity, nitrate, and sulfate in the dissolver solution; also for small amounts of uranium in the extraction column raffinates. Samples of dissolver solution and first cycle aqueous raffinate contain large amounts of fission products. These samples require shielded …

This report discusses the presence of corrosion products upon aluminum process tubes removed from wet portions of F Pile which led to the suspicion that the tubes might be corroding at an accelerated rate because of water entrapped in the channels between the tubes and the graphite blocks. Corrosion was especially noted on those tubes that were tightly stuck within the blocks. Analysis of the corrosion products showed that the major constituent was a hydrated aluminum oxide, containing iron oxide, calcium carbonate, and other substances in lower concentrations. This led to placement of an order for the anodizing of 200 process tubes.

In the exposure to a 7 0 0-MeV/c negative particle beam, 35 antiproton stars have been found. Of these antiprotons, 21 annihilate in flight and three give large-angle scatters ( {Theta} &gt; 15 , T{sub P-} &gt; 50 Mev), while 14 annihilate at rest. From the interactions in flight we obtain the total c r o s s section for antiproton interaction

The applicability of the gas centrifuge to the separation of the isotopes of the elements from Ti through U was examined. The suitable elsments were determined, and their effects on required centrifuge characteristics were surveyed. The performance of cascades of various aires with different gages was explored, and the cost of a pilot plant program to develop basic separation data was estimated. (F.S.)

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Chip method experiments were performed for the preparation of Th - 9 wt.% U, U - 10 wt.% Nb, and Al--16 wt.% U - 0.2 wt.% B alloys. The work on Th-9 wt.% U indicated that the technique was applicable with oniy slight impairment of mechanical properties and slight increase of oxygen content. Experiments on U-10 wt.% Nb to produce a more corrosion-resistant alloy were not successful. The potential use of the chip method in fabricating alloys with a burnable poison such as boron appeared feasible. An aluminum alloy containing 16 wt.% U and 0.2 wt.% B showed good homogeneity. The shot method was used on an alloy of Al-25 wt.% U. The homogeneity and the mechanical properties of this alloy, when extruded, were superior to those of similar alloys produced by conventional melting and casting. Preliminary work on the blending of master alloys of a burnable poison (i.e., boron) with an aluminumuranium alloy indicated the feasibility of obtaining a homogeneous alloy with good mechanlcal properties. (auth)