Hanford Laboratories Operation Monthly Activities Report June 1961

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HANFORD LABORATORIES OPERATION MONTHLY ACTIVITIES REPORT THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN SCANNED AND IS STORED ON THE OPTICAL DISK DRIVE HANFORD ATOMIC PRODUCTS OPERATION

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this roport w a s prepared as an account of Government sponsored work. Neither the United Stotes, nor tho Commission, nor any pmon acting on behalf of the Commission: A M o b any warranty or represontation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, complotones, or usefulness of tho information contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, or procoss disclosod in this report may not infringe privately owned rights; or Auumos any liabilitia with rospoc? to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report. As usod'in tho above, 'ponon acting on behalf of the Commission' includes any employee or contractor of tho Commission. or employoo of such contractor, to the extent that such employee or contractor of the Commission, or employoe of such contractor prepares, disseminates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employment or contract with the Commission, or his employment with

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This document consists HANFORD UBORATORLES OPERATION MONTHLY ACTIVITIES REPORT HANFORD ATOMIC PRODUCTS OPERATION 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 author only. Any views o r opinions expressed in

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Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford Operations Office G. F. Quinn, Director, Division of Production Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, South Carolina

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Force Report and Personnel Status Changes .......... iv General Summary .................v through xiv Reactor and Fuels Research and Development Physics nd Instrument Research and Development Professional Placement and Relations Practices . . 1-1 through 1 - 3

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BUDGETS AND COSTS June operating costs totaled $2, 793, 000; total fiscal year 1961 costs were $26,200,000 or 9870 of the $26, 766, 000 budget. Hanford Laboratories research and development costs for me, compared with last month and the control budget, a r e as follows: 0 (Dollars in Thousands) Current Last RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1. Reactor and Fuels The design criteria for the PRTR Rupture Loop water plant have been revised to reduce pumping capacity and costs, and a revised project completion date of June 1962 has been submitted. Critical Facility equipment installation on June 27, 1961, after the building w a s accepted with exceptions. The CPFF Contractor started PRTR Gas Loop construction is approximately 8970 complete versus 9770 scheduled as of June 30, 1961. The PRTR outage which began May 18 continued, but startup preparations were in progress at month-end. and repair of corrosion damage caused by contamination of the primary system D 2 0 with chloride and fluoride derived from freon. placements were made to PuAl fuel element bands, fuel element hanger components, metal-asbestos gaskets in the high temperature portions of the primary system and inlet jumper flow meter venturis. future corrosion, measures were taken to minimize oxygen content, including installation of a deoxygenating ion exchange unit in the primary cleanup system, installation of an inert gas shielded fuel charging funnel, incorporation of hydrogen addition facilities at the helium bulk storage, and installation of an in-line analyzer to monitor primary system 0 2 concentration. Efforts were concentrated on identification To guard against

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The initial PRTR operating experience was reviewed by the General Electric Technological Hazards Council on June 16. The Council expressed concern over the contamination of the primary coolant with chloride and fluoride. It was recommended by the Council that the process tube monitoring program be expanded to insure that the process tubes a r e performing a s anticipated. A computer code has been written to calculate the xenon poison status of the PRTR for any operating history. The code has been successfully applied in accounting for the xenon effects observed to date in the PRTR. Mercury contamination was found in the process cell, in D20 cleanup equipment, and in primary system ion-exchange piping. None, however, was found in the reflector and moderator circuits which contain aluminum which is particularly sensitive to mercury. Extensive cleanup was completed by monthAnalysis of water, gas and resin samples from the last operating period in early May indicates the probability of a ruptured fuel element. Special tests have been devised to t r y to confirm or disprove this when the reactor is next brought to low power operation. - Hydraulic resistors were developed to attenuate the oscillations of PRTR flow monitors that were causing spurious reactor s c r a m s during normal flow condiExperiments were performed with an electrically heated mockup of a PRTR 19-rod bundle fuel element to investigate cooling by boiling capabilities following the loss of electrical pumping power. remove two to four times a s much heat by natural convective boiling a s would be generated during the reactor shutdown conditions , poviding sufficient water was available to cover the fuel elements. It w a s found possible to Twenty mesh arc-fused U 0 2 when swaged to 90% theoretical density released ten times a s much gas at 1000 C a s the starting material. The increased gas release is attributed to the greater diffusion from smaller particles. sing tests at 1000 C a r e too low in temperature and give erroneous results on large particle sizes. Techniques have been developed for blending U 0 2 and Pu@ fines which result in a maximum plutonium variatien between samples of plus o r minus 1. 570. Techniques to correct this variation are being tested. ruptured, thermal cycled, and water logged under simulated PRTR conditions in the ETR. to the element resulted. Nearly negligible release of activity occurred and no visible damage

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Melting experiments on UO2-PuO2 appear to indicate oxygen evolution is responsible for the lattice expansion which is observed. An irradiated capsule containing high-energy impact formed U02 was metalradial cracks in this fuel material. Spherical fused U02 single crystals were provided for several European sites through Euratom. The crystals w i l l be used for measuring diffusion rates of fission gases in U02. There were surprisingly few circumferential o r Initial thermoconductivity measurements of single crystal U02 were completed a r e nearly identical at room temperatures, but the conductivity of the single crystal is 5070 greater than that of the polycrystalline material at 800 C. Thermoconductivity of the single crystals and polycrystalline material Zr-4 continues to demonstrate a significantly greater resistance to hydriding cladding of defected rods showing approximately 15 ppm hydrogen in Zr-4 under the same conditions that Zr-2 picked up more than 500 ppm of hydrogen. Post-irradiation examination of both materials used a s KSE-3 (NPR type) single tube fuel elements exposed to 1200 MWDIT in KER loops were found to be in good condition with fuel swelling of 1. 370. Examination of KSE-3 single tube eleme,,ts exposed to 2000 MWD/T is nearing completion with fuel swelling of 3.0% measured and indicating that the inside diameter is decreasing non-uniformly by buckling of the inner clad. A third group of KSE-3 single tube elements has been discharged at 3600 MWDIT. Measurements indicate fuel swelling of 4.4% and severe bumping on the inside bore of the two downstream elements indicates an advanced stage of inner clad buck ling. Two KER inner tube fuel components, one containing natural uranium and one U - 2 w/o Zr alloy, both irradiated to 3000 MWD/T, w e r e defect tested in the IRP (ex-reactor) loop at 300 C. Comparison of activity release r a t e s for the two elements indicates an order of magnitude slower release rate fr.om the out in the ETR. Further experimental development of the welding method used to attach supports to the outer NPR tube has shown-greater reproducibility and strength if the welded tabs on the supports a r e flat rather than curved to conform to the fuel Initial measurements of the diffusion rate of water vapor through hot NFR core graphite indicate that sufficient water vapor migrates through to the Zircaldy process tube surface to maintain an adequate oxidation rate to inhibit rapid hydriding. Capsules for in-reactor testing have been prepared

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to obtain more precise informatioll on the protective qualities of various thicknesses of zirconium oxide films exposed to simulated N P R atmospheres in a radiation field. A capsule containing EGCR graphite was removed from the GETR after a maximum exposure of 40,000 EGCR, MWD/AT. in good condition. curreat reactor cycle. The samples appear to be A flux monitoring capsule is being irradiated during the A review of experimental heat transfer knowledge gained in the past year indicates that outlet water temperature limits for individual fuel channels in the Hanford production reactors probably could be increased, if desired. A computer code for calculating neutron and gamma attenuation in thick shields has been completed. mental bulk shielding data for ordinary concrete. An initial check shows good agreemept with experiTwo second generation creep capsules are now operating in the reactor at temperatures of 3 5 0 C and 460 C. Stress has not yet been applied to either Recovery studies have been terminated for Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zr. Yield points Ni, Cu, and Z r at exposureshave been ytperved in electrolytic Ni, Type of 1.3 x 1 0 nvt for the nickels and 7.0 x 10 nvt for Cu and Zr. Development of yield point upon irradiation appears to be independent of purity for face centered cubic and close packed hexagonal materials. 2. Chemical Research and Development Operation of the High Leve! Radiochemistry Facility in behalf of the interim strontium-90 recovery program was concluded during the month. Somewhat over 72,000 cu* ts of highly purified strontium-90 were recovered during the Hot Cell operations compared to a commitment of 60, 000 curies. Laboratory investigations indicated that pressure build-up in the Decalsofilled HAPO-1A strontium shipping cask could largely be obviated by removing the interstitial liquid from the ion exchange bed subsequent to the strontium-90 loading operation. Elution of strontium-90 from the Decalso, however, must be carried out at elevated temperatures to afford the near quantitative recovery The second Hot Semiworks strontium recovery run resulted in the acquisition of 175 kilocuries of strontium-90. The recovered product met all specifications except for cerium- 144, which w a s about seven-fold high. of the product solution with either cerium hydroxide or ferric hydroxide shows promise of effecting the necessary decontamination from radiocerium.

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Substitution of diethylenetriamine acetic acid (DTPA) for ethylenediamine tetracetic acid (EDTA)in the Hot Semiworks solvent feed was-shown in laboratory studies to effect a substantial reduction of radiocerium extraction and thereby permit the reco-:ery of a purer strontium-90 product. Sufficient deco,itamination of the Hot Semiworks solvent to permit disposal, o r possibly sustained re-use, is likely to be achieved through successive solvent washes with sodium acetate-DTPA, nitric acid and alkaline tartrate Eight samples of Columbia River water were taken from near 100-B reactor between February and June, 1961, to characterize the fluctuations in arsenic, zinc, lanthanum and uranium salt concentrations with season. While arsenic and uranium concentrations remained relatively constant, the zinc concentration peaked at 28. 7 ppb in April; the lanthanum values varied erratically. of uranium and plutonium oxides out of sodium chloride-potassium chloride melts a r e of the mixed crystal type rather than a solid solution of - 0 2 in Results obtained from the first well completed on Project CAH-921 in the vicinity of the separations areas showed the presence of basalt at depths less than ten feet below the ground water table. The close proximity of the relatively impervious basalt to the ground water directions over a five mile area. The temperatures of water in Hanford wells probe. This temperature measuring device utility for Hanford hydrology studies. is now known to affect flow were me bu red with a thermistor shows promise of considerable Added calcium and/or iron salts were shown to improve the scavenging of calcium effected a five-fold Bnd ten-fold improvement in radiocerium and radiostrontium removal, respectively; 200 ppm iron more than doubled the scavenging of cobalt. scavenging of radiozinc. Both calcium and iron were effective in improving the The removal of radioisotopes from Purex condensate waste by ion exchange is substantially improved by the gri or steam stripping of the waste to remove ammonia and organic materials. Over 8, 000 column volumes of corldellsate waste have been processed through the 271-CR ion exchange pilot plant without the process effluent exceeding 0. 1 MPC, for strontium, cerium, zirconium and niobium radioisotopes. Radiocesium remained at a concentration of less than 0, I MPC, for 5 , 6 0 0 column volumes, while radioruthenium was less than its MPC, for only 800 column volumes.

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3. Physics and Instrument Research and Development The first experiment in the Critical Mass Laboratory began on June 29. A fourteen-inch diameter bare sphere was filled with plutonium nitrate solution containing 300 grams of plutonium per liter. conditions would not result in criticality. It w a s determined that these Performance of the experimental Our know.ledge of the critical mass limits applicable to molten plutonium in a crucible in the 235 Building was improved with the completion of experiments begun and reported in earlier months in which sub-critical multiplication measurements were made in the hoods themselves using disks to mock up the mo It en metal. The limiting safe concentration of plutonium in dilute solutions was also determined by the completion of the s e r i e s of experiments in the PCTR designed to determine this basic nuclear safety parameter. In Air Force supported programs in Atmospheric Physics, the first series of diffusion experiments a t Cape Canaveral, Florida, was completed on June 16, some two weeks ahead of schedule. A total of 23 field trials were completed in meteorological conditions ranging from strong atmospheric stability to strong atmospheric instability. Start-up of similar diffusion experiments at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, proceeded on schedule with the f i r s t field trial completed on June 12. In the NPR program, added confidence in the reactor physics calculations resulted from exponential pile experiments. Migration a r e a measurements in the mock-up and in the "condensed" lattices gave values of 647 cm2 and 297 c m , respectively. Their ratio, 2.17, is in good agreement with a calculated ratio of 2.19. Meanwhile, work continued to improve the methods used in analyzing data from such experiments. up and "condensed" lattices gave values which a r e essentially the same. This is what one would expect, thus furnishing additional evidence of the soundness of the PCTR technique. Continued Moratory and field testing of the developmental a r e a radiation monitor for NPR indicates better performance than obtained from commercial monitors plus the added advantage of both linear and logarithmic responses. Reactor process channel distortions w i l l be measurable to an accuracy of -+ O m 005 inch per eight inch length with a new optical traversing device. A unit is …