Hanford Works Monthly Report December, 1949 (Deleted)

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2 - Zay Jeffries, Pittsfield This Document Consists of THIS DOCUMENT HAS AND IS STORED ON THE BEEN SCANNED OPTICAL DISK DRIVE

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January 20, 1950TABLE OF CONTENTS Pile Technology Division............................ 84 Separations Technology Division .................................... 92 Metallurgy and Control Division .................................... 107 Health Instrument Division.......... 133 Plant Security and Services Divisions......... 178 Purchasing and Stores Divisions .............................. ..... 202 Design and Construction Divisions ...................................... 281 Project and Related Personnel .... .................................. 295

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A total of 62 tons of metal was discharged at an average of 96.5 percent of the goal concentration. Approximately 20 tons of metal were discharged at an average concentration of 112 percent of the goal concentration. The operating efficiency was 92.0 percent. The operating levels were 275 MW at 3, F, and H piles and 305 MW at D pile at month end. A total of 91 tons of acceptable slugs was canned at a yield of 92.0 per cent. This is the highest production rate ever achieved on a one-shift, 40 hour week basis. f The machining yield was 76.3 percent, which also is a new record. The melt plant produced IS tons of billets at a yield of 68.2 percent. Seventy-six batches were started in the Canyon Buildings, with 78 being processed through the Concentration Buildings and 75 through the Isolation Building. The average purity of completed batches from Isolation was 90.2 The electrical power peak demand of 70,600 KW for December establishes a new all time high. ’ The preparations necessary to transfer 101 Building material to the Pur chasing and Stores Division and personnel to the Technical Division were completed with the transfers to be effective January 1, 1950. A disturbance in the Bonneville Power Administration system on December 11, 1949 established a critical ,,Yn power condition of eighteen minutes duration. The general backlog trend is downward and should this continue, further manpower reductions in addition to those made in December will be Pile Technology Division Work began on devising a method of converting a Hanford pile in whole or major part to tritium production.' Satisfactory progress was made on the construction of the critical mass Graphite machining was begun for the exponential experiments.

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Information was developed and furnished to the Design Division on the control system for G Pile. There has been a 0.07 inch downward movement of the center of the Top Biological Shield and a 0.08 inch inward movement of the Far Side of the B Pile during the last five months. This recovery is attributed to carbon dioxide which was increased from 40^ to 80% during this period. Restraining brackets were installed on the Far Side of the D Pile on December 22 and on the F Pile on December 29. -.dies of multi-layer filters made up of No. 55 and ,rAAM Fiberglas has firmed the prediction that highly efficient Fiberglas filters can be Separations Technology Division Methods of reducing undesirably high coating waste product losses are being investigated in the Canyon Buildings. Continued progress of a pro duction test in the Concentration Building metathesis has reduced the time cycle to ca. 12 hours without adversely affecting product losses. The extent and correction of bad contamination of Isolation Building final product solutions through corrosion failure of neutron-absorbing assem blies is under study. Temperature cycle changes have been made in Hood 14 of Building 234, in an effort to reduce plutonium metal impurities. Difficulties have been encountered with both tool design and operating procedure in Hood 19 operations on the Model 090 core fabrication in Building 235, as well as in Hood 26 operations, but corrective steps believed to be of promise are being taken. In redox and Metal Waste Recovery process development, 38 additional column runs were made during the past month, primarily involving studies of packed and pulse columns in the T.B.P. process. Stage heights and throughput rangeability have been determined under admittedly less-thanoptinum conditions in 3, 4, and 8-inch packed columns and a 5-inch pulse column. Semi-works studies of the diuranate metal waste feed preparation method were closed out with satisfactory phosphate purification but poor uranium yields and unsatisfactory cake handling properties. The G.E. & C.L. Submerged Pump No. 2 was returned to life-test operation after a five-month inspection proved satisfactory. Process chemistry studies ccrriod out have involved diuranate fines formation, distribution ratios in the T.B.P. process, T.B.P. process freezing points and satura tion values, and hexone drying. In the research laboratory, continued improvements have been obtained in ruthenium volatilization and zirconium scavenging. The rethod for the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in plant recycle solutions has been further developed. High yields and lanthanum purification have been obtained on new methods of coupling Redox and Bismuth Phosphate final-product solutions to metal reduction steps. Early promise for success in solubilizing 234"5 crucible slag for plutonium recovery is being obtained. Additional T.B.P. process equilibrium and density^datll have been obtained and a ,,hotn pulse column has been set up in th^f

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laboratory for T.B.P. runs. Ion-exchange studies with plant 5-6W crib wastes are showing favorable results for high plutonium decontamination, as are scavenging studies. In the 234-5 process development laboratory, additional studies of the peroxide purification process have been carried out. The calcium testing equipment has been set up and has operated satisfactorily. New develop ments in core radiography and electrolytic testing are undergoing trial Recent apparently erratic pressure drops at the T Plant sand filter have proved to be due to faulty instrumentation. Completion of experimental studies of multi-layer filters made up of No. 55 and nkXn Fiberglas has confirmed the prediction that highly efficient Fiberglas filters can be designed to handle air velocities several-fold greater than the present sand filters. Confirmation of the formation and deposition of ammonium nitrate in Fiberglas filters placed in the dissolver off-gas line has been obtained. Additional pilot runs with the silver reactor have continued to demonstrate iodine removal efficiencies in excess of 99 percent. Metallurgy and Control Division In a study of the variation in orientation in production rolled uranium rod, it was found that in a single slug the degree of orientation varied around the periphery, and that the type of peripheral variation was the same along the entire length of the slug. This variation in degree of orientation is the suspected reason for the warping of alpha rolled lead dipped slugs during irradiation. This study is continuing and will cover slugs ftom a number of rods and from various positions along a Data on the roll pressure required in rolling 1.55” diameter cast uranium at 400 and 500°C were received from Battelle, This completed the Battelle roll pressure measurements at temperatures from 300 to 600°C, as originally planned, and these data are being used in the 300 Area rolling mill design by Project Engineering. An experimental ’’duplex” run at Battelle, in which cast uranium was rolled 40 percent at 600°C and than rolled to 90 percent total reduction at 300°C, yielded rods having a much better surface than was obtained with cast material rolled entirely at As a result of sharper definitions of the deadlines and the magnitude of requirements for the Rala analytical laboratory, increased effort has been placed on the design of the necessary laboratory equipment. By month-end, ten chemists and designers were assigned exclusively to this design effort, and were housed temporarily as a special unit in Building 101. A "Remote Control Transport” system, based on a simpler system in use for radon work at the Cleveland Clinic, is under consideration for this ex tremely high-level work; the guide rail system would furnish the route for radio-controlled power units carrying samples to and from analytical stations, as well as apparatus for the analytical procedures. Analytical methods for Rala continued under active development.

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A statistical study of dimensional measurements on Group V uranium slugs exposed to 400 M,W.D» revealed no significant systematic dimensional changes. It was also found that the variability in dimensions of indi vidual slugs had not increased significantly over that observed in canned slugs prior to exposure. Instructions Letter No. 135> Section VI, authorized an Audit and Inventory Unit in the 700 Area Classified Files which will be responsible for a perpetual plant-wide inventory of classified documents. The nucleus of this now Uxiit was organized, and initial inventory operations were under HEALTH INSTRUMENT DIVISIONS The force increased by four. Three Class I Special Hazards Incidents were investigated. None of these involved significant radiation exposure. Survey findings in the Operational division, with some exceptions, were normal. The nspecial dissolving" resulted in greater contamination spread than had been anticipated. Air and vegetation samples collected by Development division personnel defined the resulting pattern and magnitude of Il3l deposition. Other routine monitoring samples were consistent with In Bioassay, urine samples showed no confirmed positive results for plutonium but disclosed consistently high tritium oxide content in the samples from In biological monitoring, specimens collected during the month showed thyroid activities ranging from 1 to 300 /uc/kg. The latter represents about 80 times the maximum permissible limit of permanently maintained radio iodine concentration. This resulted from the high deposition of ll31 in the special dissolving, and is a temporary condition. Phase I of the Animal Farm is being accepted as opposed to Phase II, the sewage disposal plant, which does not meet operating specifications. PLANT SECURITY AND SERVICES DIVISION The year 1949 was completed with eleven major injuries and a frequency rate of 0.714 - the lowest frequency achieved under General Electric opera There were four minor fires in the industrial areas with a loss of $723. There was a slight increase in laundry volume in both the 700 and 200 Area Mail volume has increased to the point where it was necessary to secure an additional employee to aid in distribution. Responsibility for handling the 250, 700 Area General, Account was placed with the Office Services Division.

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Records inventories of all divisions except Accounting General, Health Instrument, and Technical have been completed. A group of five employees has been set up to conduct continuous inventories of classified documents throughout the Project. It is expected that this group will begin operation in January. • • EMPLOYEE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIVISION . Open requisitions increased from 66 at the beginning of the month to 94 . at the end of December. Total plant personnel decreased from 7,429 to 7,405. Turnover rate, including terminations due to lack of work, was 1.04^ during December. Turnover rate exclusive of terminations due to lack of work was .55$. Six hundred and fifty-six employees are in lack . of work status. Seniority dates in 15 seniority groups were brought up-todate and reissued. Shortage of stenographers and typists necessitated advertising in newspapers in nearby communities. A draft of a procedure for disciplinary action was prepared during December. One hundred sixty-five visits were made to employees off work because of . illness. One employee optionally retired during December. Three employee deaths occurred during the month. Six awards, totalling $85, representing an estimated saving of $771, were granted during the month. Program in December. Supervisory Management Cost Control Program was presented during 37 meetings in December, with a total of 532 supervisors participating. Eighty-six meetings were held for non-exempt employees for the presentation of an economics film, entitled "This Is Our Problem," with 3,983 employees attending. , Three revisions and two additions for the Supervisors' Employee Relations Handbook were distributed during the month. : One monthly employee has been added to the payroll of Community Relations to act as the representative of the Division Head, Community Relations, ■ This monthly payroll employee was assigned specifically to handle all . public information matters concerned with the Richland Community Divisions. He attends the Community Manager's staff meetings as well as those of the Division Head, Community Relations, in carrying out his responsibilities - which include advising the Community Manager and members of his staff on community and public information matters; the release of information to residents in the form of letters, newspaper articles, and radio releases. A total of 28 releases were distributed to the "Local List" of newspapers during the month of December, including releases to radio stations in the vicinity. Six releases were sent during the month to the 72 daily news papers, radio stations and wire services in the Northwest. "You and General Electric at Hanford TTorks" was distributed to those on the Richland Community Thought Leaders list as a means of further acquainting v them with the efforts of General Electric to keep its employees informed concerning matters affecting them, their jobs, and their company.

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As a community service, Community Relations assisted in publicizing the Christmas Seal sale campaign during the month. In addition, assistance was given to the Community Safety Supervisor in publicizing the formation of the Richland Safety Council to replace the former Village Safety Committee, Hanford WORKS NEWS played an important role in publicizing special campaigns within individual divisions of the Nucleonics Department during the month. The newspaper was also active in community service through assistance given to the League of Women Voters in publicizing the precinct map and in urging Hanford Works people to register and to vote. A readership survey questionnaire was distributed as an insert in Hanford WORKS NEWS during the Lionth. This project was undertaken as a means of obtaining suggestions from employee readers of Hanford WORKS NEWS on how the paper might be improved as a medium for furnishing them with the informa tion they desire about their jobs and other information important to them in the course of their work at this plant. Four special Women's Pages were prepared during the month for Hanford WORKS NEWS by the Women's Feature Writer, Other features prepared by this writer were published in Hanford WORKS NEWS as a means of further stimulating the interest of women employees in the various recreation activities available to them in the course of their work at this plant. A formal hearing was held by the NLRB in regard to the bargaining rights petition filed by the Building Service Employees International Union. The petition filed by the Hanford Industrial Firemen's Union was withdrawn and resubmitted by the HAMTC, A hearing was scheduled by the NLRB for February 8, 1950, in the case of the Technical Engineers and Architects Association, ' Conferences were held between representatives of the Metal Trades Department, the HAI/1TC, and General Electric Company for the purpose of discussing mutual problems. Two meetings were held with the Council Grievance Committee. Work was continued on the Northwest Community Rate Survey. A study of rates for Draftsmen and Designers was made. The method of computing the retroactive pay adjustments was explained to the supervisors. PURCHASING Aim STORES DIVISIONS The above tabulation indicates a decrease of 26 people. This decrease is due principally to the completion of Surplus, Salvage, and Scrap Inventories. The work load of the Purchasing Division decreased during the month of December. This decrease was due principally to delays in receiving '>■ requisitions for the DR Water Plant and the Redox construction. The initial purchase …