This report details activities of Hanford Engineer Works on Project 9536 during the week ending December, 1943. Tests are described which were run to determine means of eliminating the film which has been forming on tubes and slugs and causing excessive pressure drops.

This report addresses toxicity (largely chemical) of Manhattan Project materials from the point of worker protection. Known chemical toxicities of X material (uranium), nitrous fumes, fluorine, vanadium, magnesium, and lime are described followed by safe exposure levels, symptoms of exposure, and treatment recommendations. The report closes with an overview of general policy in a question and answer format.

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Included in this semi-monthly report written in 1943 are progress with neutron beams, neutron absorption in enriched materials, equipment operation and maintenance reports of the cyclotron neutron source facility, and instrumentation maintenance activities of individuals in the cyclotron group. (GHT)

This report discusses effluent dilution of a retention basin at the Hanford Works in 1943. (JL)

Data acquired from sampling the Columbia River water September 1, 1943, is presented. The waster was analyzed for turbidity, ph value, chemical composition, and suspended matter.

The turnings have proved to be highly inflammable and subject to spontaneous ignition. Several experiments have been conducted at Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company, Hamilton, Ohio, and Baker Brothers, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, and in addition there have been a number of accidental fires, of which at least three were spontaneous. Fires of quantities ranging from several pounds to several hundred pounds have been experienced and a number of extinguishers have been tried. Records of this work are available in our files. While the work to date does not constitute an exhaustive survey of the problem, we believe that it is now safe to outline precautionary and protective measures.

Measurements of the spectrum of the fission neutrons of 25 are described, in which the energy of the neutrons is determined from the ionization produced by individual hydrogen recoils. The slow neutrons producing fission are obtained by slowing down the fast neutrons from the Be-D reaction of the Stanford cyclotron. In order to distinguish between fission neutrons and the remaining fast cyclotron neutrons both the cyclotron current and the pusle amplifier are modulated. A hollow neutron container, in which slow neutrons have a lifetime of about 2 milliseconds, avoids the use of large distances. This method results in much higher intensities than the usual modulation arrangement. The results show a continuous distribution of neutrons with a rather wide maximum at about 0.8 MV falling off to half of its maximum value at 2.0 MV. The total number of netrons is determined by comparison with the number of fission fragments. The result seems to indicate that only about 30% of the neutrons have energies below .8 MV. Various tests are described which were performed in order to rule out modification of the spectrum by inelastic scattering.

This report discusses the use of coal tar to extinguish potential magnesium fires in stored metal turnings at the Hanford Engineer Works. The report is dated August 11, 1943. (JL)

This memorandum discusses means to extinguish magnesium fires in metal turnings at the Hanford Engineer Works 300 Area. The storage of metal turnings in 55 gallon drums presented a fire hazard, for which an effective means for extinguishing the fire had not been presented. This memorandum is dated July 1943. (JL)

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To find a process for successful photochemical separation of isotopes several conditions have to be fulfilled. First, the different isotopes have to show some differences in the spectrum. Secondly, and equally important, this difference must be capable of being exploited in a photochemical process. Parts A and B outline the physical and chemical conditions, and the extent to which one might expect to find them fulfilled. Part C deals with the applicability of the process.

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The objective of this report is to investigate the feasibility of obtaining uranium from the carnotite sludge in such a form as o permit its use in the brown oxide purification process.

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Progress was reported from the 300, 100, and 200 Areas. It covered the X pile, aluminium corrosion, graphite purity, fuel element fabrication, bismuth phosphate extraction and decontamination processes, waste disposal from bismuth phosphate processing, control rod systems for Site W, shielding problems at the Site W separation plant, fuel element failure detection, power distribution in the Clinton pile, reactor instrumentation for Site W.

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This report details Technical Division activities for the week ending June 5, 1943.

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This report details Technical Division activities for the week ending May 29, 1943.

This report details Technical Division activities for the week ending May 22, 1943.