Hanford Laboratories Operation Monthly Activities Report April, 1957 (Deleted)

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P. R. No. Location I Route Date Signature and Date HANFORD ATOMIC PRODUCTS OPERATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN SCANNED AND 15 STORED OM THE OPTICAL DISK DRIVE This report was prepared only for use within General Electric Company in the course of work under Atomic Energy Commission the report are those of the authors only. Any views o r opinions expressed in

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Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford Operations Office, E. J. Bloch, Director, Division of Production,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Force Report and Personnel Status Changes ..................V Promotions and Transfers............................ vi General Summary ........................... vii through xiii Reactor and Fuels Research and Development Physics and Instrument Research and Development Financial Operation ......................... 1-1 through 1-4

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Manager, Physics and Instrument Research and Manager, Employee Relations .............. Manager, (Acting) Reactor and Fuels Research and

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1. Reactor and Fuels Development thirds of the way toa 600 MWD/T test exposure in the KE reactor. charge is scheduled in May. as many as three defective rods in one element would reduce nominal coolant flow one half. Out-of-reactor 280 C water loop tests showed Three cored insulated f u e l elements have completed an exposure of about 700 MWD/T at -50 kw/ft in t h e Icw reactor. Two tubular ceramic fuel elements (1.474" OD x 0.375" I D x 8.850" length), consisting of 92$ dense U02 clad in M-388, l f i - A l alloy, were fabricated and shipped t o the MTR for irradiation at a calculated power generatim of 50 kw/ft, beginning w i t h cycle 87, May 13. Examination is pending. Ten ZircaLoy-3 clad swaged oxide fuel elements w e r e fabricated; dimensions of these are: mately four inches long. metallurgical evaluation; two of the remaining three elements, with oxide densities of 8% and 9096 of t h e theoretical value, are scheduled f o r MPR irradiation in the near future. Seven of the ten elements were sectioned for Laboratory static autoclave corrosion tests have shown a new experbental aluminum Uey A-20% (5.5 w t $ Ni, 0.3 Fe, 0.a Ti) t o be markedly superior t o all previous aluminum alloys in corrosion resistance t o deobserved on M-388 (Fe, N i ) and standard 1245 alloy jacketed fuel elements in the extreme downstream portion of t e s t columns discharged from the H Moderate t o severe localized corrosion was using dummy fuel loadings. loop was effected following a bearing failure. water loops were placed in in-reactor recirculatory operation Replacement of a canned motor pump on the K - 3 Scope preparation f o r the PFSR is estimated t o be SO$ complete. building and services criteria (second issue), charge-discharge criteria, reactor radiation monitor instrumentation criteria, power calculation Fnstrumentaticm criteria, and reactor thennocouple criteria were issued for comment durhg the month. Better definition of the various reactor systems has resulted in a reduction in the diameter of the containment vessel from 90 feet to 80 feet. The piutonium-bearing fuel elements and flux monitoring discs for the PRP reactor tests in the PCTR were completed and sent t o the 300 Area.

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2 . Physics and Instruments Research and Development Eqonential measurements were made to determine the effect that enriching I and E slugs would have on the reactivity gains arising from loss of water from a reactor. These experbents were proceeding at month-end. The first set of analog computer rtms on the dynamic behavior of a reactor upon water loss were completed and sent to IPD f o r evaluation. Final values of the reactivtty parameters for large solid h e 1 elements, considered for the IPR desiga, were determined jointly with IPD personnel based upon experiments in the RXR. Experiments were run in the PCTR to determine k for several lattices of interest in the PFPR. included a 7-rod cluster of oxide elements, a 19-rod cluster of oxide elements, and a cluster of 16 oxide and 3 Pu elements. P-1analysis of the results indicates a k less than 1 for the ?-rod cluster and greater than 1 for the other two, but no numerical values are yet All experiments were done in a 7" lattice and Experiments to determine the maximum safe enrichment which can be handled in solution in the Separations Plants without attention to critical mass limitations, reported last month, have continued. ment has been determined to be 1.05% and the most reactive concentration is in the H/U range of 7 to 8. The value of this enrichExponential experiments a r e in progress to determine nuclear safety limitations for handling and processing enriched I and E slugs outside of reactors. Experiments performed during the mnth provided striking confirmation o f previous results which denmnstrated that the classical fusion theories seriously under-estimate the concentration of contaminants at distances beyond 1,OOO feet from the source in stable atmospheres. 3. Chemical Research and Development The anomalous behavior of neptunium in the P u r a Process has been traced to impurities in the solvent. A predictable course of action on the flawsheet for Np recovery can now be taken. It is planned to oxidize in the first cycle forcing the Np with the solvent followed by reduction in the second cycle. Ion exchange can be employed to remove Np from this stream. This results in Mp ping into the aqueous phase. Favorable small scale laboratory studies for the concentration and purification of plutonium by adsorption on and elution from an anion exchange resin were duplicated by R&E of 0on a semiworks scale. It was decided

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to convert the Purex ion exchange system f r o m cation to anion type resin. The change will require revised instrumentation for the Purex installation. Studies are i n progress t o define the new instrumentation. reduction and precipitation was mved closer t o large scale operation. A trench type cell was demnstrated which permits scale-up with retention of the same characteristics as the single electrode system used i n laboraThe chemistry of the NH4F scheme f o r dissolution of zirconium w a s further of ammonia per mol of zirconium. The optimum ranges f o r pH and reagent concentrations were characGas evolution is i n accord with theory - 2 -1s of H2 and 4 mols The adaptability of the new HA column internals to the proposed Purex Phase I1 flawsheet ( 2 cycles with backcycle) was investigated. of 3.5 were realizable (based upon chloride removal). with satisfactory losses and good scrubbing efficiency Formation of mixed crystals of P%-U02 from nitrate solutions by direct calcination in an inert gas atmosphere as opposed t o reduction ina hydrogen atmosphere appears t o be a possibility. this method would reduce equipment and operating costs as w e l l as a potential DemDnstration of the adequacy of A potentially lower cost method f o r making plutonium-aluminum alloys from Pu02 w a s explored. Alloys containing 1.6 and 15 w e i & t per cent Pu were made by reaction of aluminum metal and plutonium oxide in a molten cryolite The application of x-ray fluorescence techniques was explored with existing instrumentation. It w a s possible to determine elements in the range from iron (Atomic No. 26) to s i l v e r (Atomic Bo. 47) a t concentrations of 50 mg 1 t o uranium can be determined i n concentrations of 100 mg/l with like prework should derive from this application. with a precision of 2 5.0 per cent. Elements from mercury (Atomic No. 80i Further improvements in sensitivity by a factor o f 10 are believed A significant improvement in the speed and cost of analytical Determination of plutonium and uranium in irradiated fuels was simplified by application of coulometric procedures. The procedure requires fewer manipulations, and smaller samples; hence, reduced radiation shielding. Precision is * 0.5 per cent. Application of gamma and beta energy spectrometry to measurements of activity in aquatic samples appears feasible f o r 17 isotopes. cent is attainable for 9 of the isotopes, -t LO per cent f o r 4 and cent for the remaining four isotopes. A precision of 3 per

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Studies on synthetic zeo lites (sodium alumino silicate) as a retention media for fission products revealed that the removal of water from the gel by compaction or leaching results i n loss of cesium from the gel. appears well fixed. Calcium gluconate did not alter the therapeutic effectiveneas of zirconium citrate in promoting the excretion of plutonium from rats. citrate is better tolerated by the animals when mixed with calcium gluconate. The accumulation of Cs1s7 in rats after 200 days chronic feeding wasin close agreement w i t h predictions based on results of single administration One hour following intraVenOU injections Zn65 is present i n highest concentration in liver, pancreas, and kidney. dose was present i n the liver. About one-third of the injected Experiments involving the X-irradiation of the exteriorized intestine of rats injected with FeB hdl cate d that intestinal hemorrhage occurred principally on the sixth day following irradiation and is a direct effect of damage t o the intestine. A tumor was found in the thyroid gland of a six-year-old ewe maintained since conception on 1131 ata feeding level of 5 W/g. Malignant squamous c e l l carcinomas were found in two out of 17 muse lungs examined 400 days after intratracheal injection of 0.06 pc PU239About I 2 per cent of the original dose of plutoniumwas retained in these animals at sacrifice, nearly half of this being present in the lung. Dosimetry difficulties encquntered in the relative biological effectiveness work were traced t o the presence of iron contamination i n the P32 and S35 solutions obtained from O a k Ridge. Barley was pawn in vessels containing organic resins as carriers for essential ions, the amount of calcium being held constant while the amount of strontium w a s varied. affected by the variation i n strontium concentration on the resin. Accumul a t i o n of strontium in the leaf increased with increasing strontium concent ration on the resin at a greater than proportional rate. The accumulation of calciun i n the leaf was not 5. Technical and Other Semices A record t o t a l of U9l tests were performed by the Radiographic Testing Operation this month. testing, eddy current testing, visual and dimensional checks, and ultrasonic thickness measuremmts. These included x-ray examination, dye penetrant

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The question of whether IBM-702 processing of document inventories yields sufficient benefit in added security to justify the high expenses incurred is now under critical review. Analyses of water samples from two Redox wells indicated the first Sr?’ ever to be detected in ground water a t HAPO. interest and constitutes no significant radiological hazard. This is primactly of historical There were no cases of plutonium deposition confirmed during the month. The total cases on record f o r the plant remained a t 200. The Home Area assignment and Roving Badge system was initiated on April 15, 1957. The inherent benefits in this system, when adopted on a full-scale basis, will be a reduction in personnel required for badge processing and increased accuracy i n cumulative exposure records. The conversion of the entire plant t o the new plastic badge was completed during April. Terrestrial animals contained, in general, about the same contamination as one year ago. River samples (waterfowl) were from two to five times higher River organisms were exposed for eight hours t o effluent collected froma reactor tube which contained a ruptured fuel element. of algae w a s increased about 2.5-fold due to rupture radioisotopes, but there was little or no increase i n the activity densities o f small fish. The activity density Personnel and overtime portions of the Budget f o r FX 19% and Revision f o r FY 1958 f o r the Level 3 components were submitted during April. Also submitted wasa summary schedule, a t Level 2, which shows the costs t o be incurred and the distribution of these costs to end functions. Detailed budgets for Level 3 components arein process but cannot be completed until firm figures have been established for the volume of Research and Development and Process Technology to be performed by HIX) f o r the Product General Electric Annual Reports for 19% were delivered to all employees and annual statements of participation were delivered to those employees participating i n the Ssvings and Stock Bonus Plan. Employee Compensation Services, Schenectady, was furnished with salary data f o r each exempt employee on April 15, 1957. Work with the Traveling Auditors was completed April 10, 1957. report of their findings has been received and a U recommendations adopted except the one proposing recording o f exempt absences on a half-day basis.

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A new method of constructing confidence interval estimates of $0 based on PCTR data w a s derived. The method is based on simultaneous confidence region estimation of both parameters in a linear function relationship between two cadmium ratios, and is a marked improvement over all previously Considerable statistical effort is being devoted to the establishment of an operating bulk outlet temperature fora given reactor such that the probability o f exceeding a specified limiting temperature is remote. On April 30 the staff of the Hanford Laboratories Operation totaled 1167, including 477 exempt and 690 non-exempt personnel. employees there were 414 w i t h coLlege degrees, including 398 Technical degrees as follows: Of the total exempt Plans were l a i d during the month of April f o r the 10-week summer program for Radiological Physics Fellows. This program will commence June 24. Fifteen suggestions were received and 10 were adopted during the month. A total of $1585 was awarded for the 10 a bp ted suggestions. A slight increase i n Benefit PLan participation was noted durlng the Regional %nitor negotiations are continuing as are discussions concerning the Wonacott arbitration case. cases is not clear. The outlook f o r settlement for these two No decision h~& yet been handed down by the Superior Court in t h e laundry

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Two grievances were received during April with one being settled satis fac - torily at Step One. In the second case the Step Two answer has been given. During April, Laboratories personnel worked a total of 198,009 hours with no disabling injuries. have been completed with no disabling injuries. ment injuries with a frequency of 2.02 as compared to 1.98 f o r the previous Since September 1, 1956 a total of 1,507,098 hours There were 40 medical treat - !!!he frequency to date for the year is 1.81. There were four incidents involving calls on the fire department. only one resulted i n 1088, that being a spontaneous fire in a barrel of uranium turnings. The estimated loss was $500. Eleven security violation incidents were processed making the 1957 total

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test t o compare M-388 and 1245 …