This report covers the progress made on an intensive program to develop and evaluate UO2 as a possible fuel element for the PWR.

The results of this investigation indicate that maximum electric power generation can be obtained by selecting the turbine steam temperature within a range of plus/minus 30 degrees C. from an "idealized" steam temperature. This "idealized" steam temperature is shown to depend primarily on the maximum permissible uranium temperature. The minimum available condenser temperature and the temperature rise of the coolant in the pile effect the selection of the turbine steam temperature to lesser extent.

Technical report. The object of the research is to determine the procedure and equipment for the preparation of U233 on a semi-works scale. The general proposed procedure is that thorium carbonate in aluminum cans will be irradiated with pile neutrons. The Pa233 resulting from neutron absorption the Th232 and the decay of Th233 will be extraction from 99% of the thorium and the natural U in thorium by MnO2 precipitations. The Pa233 will then be allowed to decay to U233 which in turn will be isolated from the remaining Th and partially decayed Pa233 by ether extraction.

Summary: The High Power Density Project includes a comprehensive fuel development program which has the objective of developing and demonstrating the performance of a nuclear reactor core having a high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication cost. The fuel program is made up of two principal tasks. Task 1A consists of irradiation tests in the VBWR of Type 304 stainless steel clad, UO2 pellet type fuel rods fabricated by current commercial processes. Task 1B consists of the investigation of lower cost fabrication processes and the irradiation testing of fuel elements fabricated by these processes. Both tasks include the investigation of the feasibility and use of thin-wall stainless steel cladding as a means of improving the neutron economy and fuel cycle costs of stainless steel clad fuel. Irradiation of the Task 1A fuel assemblies in the VBWR was initiated in September, 1960. Subsequently, Task 1B fuel assemblies were inserted in the VBWR as various fabrication processes and design concepts were investigated. Fuel cladding failures have occurred in fuel rods in both Task 1A and 1B. As of this date, cladding failures have occurred in twenty-two rods of approximately 700 fuel rods which have been irradiated. Twenty of the failures …

Summary: A set of conditions is described for a ten minute determination of water in TO₃ by ignition and absorption of the evolved water in magnesium perchlorate. Complete conversion to T₃O₃ is obtained under these conditions, so that total loss on ignition and total T (plus non-volatile impurity) content may also be obtained. It has been found unnecessary to employ Cu foil to prevent interference by nitrates, which may be present with a nitrate/water ratio as high as 5, and in an amount that does not exceed 100 mg.

Abstract: "Diameter measurements of 25 slugs taken before and after a prolonged heat treatment showed no evidence of differences that would indicate blistering. The average effects of the treatment was different for the various slugs. Large differences in diameter measurements between slugs. Large differences in diameter between slugs and significant differences between indices and positions were found."

Introduction: "In connection with conducting neutron experiments in a pit with earth and concrete walls, it was proposed that the background flux of neutrons might be reduced by lining the walls of the pit with a neutron absorber such as boron. To determine how much liner material would be desirable and what diminution in the neutron background could be expected, the following measurements were undertaken."

Specifications for the proposed in-pile loop to be placed in the Hanford Reactor. The the purpose of the proposed installation of an irradiation facility accounting to a high pressure, high temperature recirculating loop for the Westinghouse Atomic Power Division (WAPD) is to test the integrity of fuel specimens. This report, in support of the feasibility study, cost estimates, and schedule, presents design specifications for the loop.

"The problem of explaining the lack of radiative muon decay in an intermediate charged vector meson theory is discussed. A possible way of introducing the charged vector meson to the theory of weak interactions is outlined in which renormalization is retained. However, if this way is used, the anomalous magnetic moment is calculated to be large, which is in contradiction with expectation."

LITR Fluoride-Fuel Loop. — The inconel loop was dismantled for removal of the samples and for recovery of the uranium by using the remote cutting tools installed in a half cell of the Solid State Building. Disassembly proceeded without incident. An electric-arc cutting technique was developed for removal of the stainless steel enclosure around the pump bowl. Fission power and maximum flux were determined by irradiating a simulated loop, by heat-balance calculations, by radiochemical analyses for fission products in the fuel, by measuring the activation of cobalt foils attached to the loop, and by activation of the loop tubing itself. The determination of the power by these various methods gave 2.5 to 2.8 kw during operation of the loop, and the maximum power density was 0.4 kw/cc. Chemical analyses of the fuel were carried out to determine U, Zr, and the major constituents of inconel: Ni, Cr, and Fe.

The preceding report follows an extensive study made at Hanford of methods and equipment to remove effectively the dissolver vent gases.

"The experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in decontamination equipment and working areas from radioactivity has been summarized." The methods and reagents that were used for decontamination are discussed.

At the request of the Hanford Operations Office of the Atomic Energy Commission, a criticality instrumentation meeting was held at Hanford on August 17 and 18, 1959. The purposes of the meeting were: (a) to review types of criticality control and/or alarm instrumentation at each site, their problems, shortcomings and potential obsolescence; (b) to discuss instrumentation in the area if approaching criticality; and (c) to consider for material balance purposes, the feasibility of devising instruments to detect the buildup of plutonium and enriched uranium bearing residues in process systems.

Technical report presenting the results of a study of the AEC thorium production facilities at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. Operating procedures, descriptions of equipment and a production cost analysis have been included in this study.

Abstract: "The valve-actuated pulse column is employed to give phase separation on each half cycle in the countercurrent flow cycle and provides independent control over each step in the cycle. The dependence on temperature of operation, on pulse frequency and amplitude, and on plate design and spacing has been studied for extraction and stripping of uranium with tributyl phosphate in a hydrocarbon diluent. It is found that the efficiency increases quite significantly as the temperature is raised regardless of the direction of transfer and this increased efficiency is accompanied by greater operational freedom. A decrease in hole size, decrease in plate separation and increase in frequency all lead to higher efficiency in agreement with the concept that small drops continually formed coalesced and reformed, lead to maximum interphase transfer. The high extraction efficiency of the column is probably aided further by the relatively sharp pulse produced."

Relations governing the measurement of Stainless Steel corrosion rates by activation analysis are derived and discussed. The principal neutron induced radioactivities are calculated and graphed. Shielding requirements are considered and it is concluded that six inches of lead shielding should be sufficient for the proposed experiments if the samples are allowed to cool for one day in the reactor storage basin.

Abstract. Some diffusion parameters of water are computed with various thermal-neutron scattering laws. It is found that the diffusion cooling coefficient, in particular, is reasonably sensitive to the scattering law, but that the diffusion cooling coefficients predicted by the Radkowsky and Nelkin kernels are in fortuitious agreement. The coefficients computed for the Nelkin kernel, when treated in a manner consistent with the way in which experimental data are treated, are in reasonable agreement with the results of a recent experiment.

Abstract: "A new method of determining 8-hydroxyquinoline by titration with electrolytucally-generated bromine has been developed. Results show good precision in the range 0.4 mg. to 1.6 mg. total 8-hydroxyquinoline, with 99% confidence limits of less than +/- 2%. An electronically-regulated constant current source, required by the method, is described. A new indicator system with high sensitivity to free bromine is discussed."

Abstract: "Small amounts of acetic acid, equivalent to 400 ul. of 0.3 to 0.13 g/L. can be titrated coulonatrically in the presence of a 10 to 25-fold excess of HN03 in 70%, isopropanol. An accuracy of +/- 0.1% and a precision of +/- 8.5% (99% limite) are obtained.

This bibliography contains 145 references on the technology and apparatus used in the purification of argon, helium and xenon, and on the analysis for water, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, in the purification process. The references are arranged in four classifications: general, argon, helium, and xenon. Within each classification, the references are arranged in chronological order.

This partially annotated bibliography contains 334 references from papers published from 1945 to 1959 and includes references on the consumable - and nonconsumable - electrode vacuum arc melting process. References are also given on electrode preparation, furnace construction and operation, melting, sintering, vacuum techniques, and theory.

The following report investigates the cohesive energy of ionic crystal lattices in the alkali halides when at a high pressure.

Abstract: "Following nitrate removal by means of a three-stage hydrochloric acid digestion, uranium was reduced with chromous sulfate reagent. In an inert atmosphere, the quadrivalent uranium was titrated at 80-95[degrees] with standard ferric sulfate solution. The end point was obtained with a potentiometric cell including a platinum in-titrant reference electrode and a platinum indicator electrode. Application was made to various low leverl uranium solutions. For samples containing 1 - 12 milligrams or uranium, less than one percent error may be expected. Iron and chromium do not interfere."

This paper presents the results of a series of buckling measurements involving the use of enriched uranium rods (1.007% by weight U²³⁵) in light water. The effect of replacing a water reflector with one of uranyl nitrate solution of two different concentrations, 536 and 188 grams of U per liter of solution was investigated for the 0.925" rods with the 1.74 H₂O/U-volume ratio in the core. Some information was also obtained on the extrapolation length to be used in unreflected cases. The application of theory to these lattices, and others, is given in an appendix under separate title, "Buckling Calculations for One Per Cent Enriched Uranium-Water Rod Lattices."