Quarterly summary research report in metallurgy

A quarterly summary research report in metallurgy for April, May, June of 1955 by the Ames Laboratory staff

The molten-metal-fuel reactor

Scientists who were engaged in the atomic program before the end of 1943 had pretty well outlined most of the types of reactors which are being discussed today. These outlines were usually quite general and merely sketched the theoretical possibility of building a particular type of reactor. Many of these discussions were not recorded, and the records of others are hard to find today since they are buried in the Project literature and have not been properly indexed. However, a careful search of reports such as the minutes of the Project Council and the weekly and monthly reports of the various projects would unearth them. Those who remember that period will recall that reactors were divided into various categories, such as thermal, intermediate, and fast reactors; homogeneous and heterogeneous reactors; and lightwater, heavy-water, graphite, beryllium, molten- salt, and molten-metal reactors. Most of these were in the dream or speculative stage. It was obvious to everyone that the first reactors would have to be thermal reactors using natural uranium because, until enriched materials could be obtained and the pressing war needs could be satisfied, little time could be devoted to the other types of reactors

The Use of the Spectroscope in Chemistry

A discussion was given of the types of spectroscopes with particular attention to the limitations and applications of certain instruments for absorption and emission spectra studies. The difficulties of manipulation in various regions of the spectra were itemized with a discussion of present technics for such regions

Some calorimetric studies of the metals and chlorides of cerium and neodymium

The following thermal data have been measured f or some of t he compounds and metals of cerium and neodymiumz (1) the heats of solution and dilution of the anhydr ous chlorides i n aqueous solution; (2) the changes in heat capacities of solution and dilution of the anhydrous chlorides in aqueous solution; (3) the heats of solution of the anhydrous chlorides and metals in aqueous hydrochloric acid; (4) the heats of solution of the hydrated chlorides in aqueous solution; ( 5) the heats of precipitation of the oxalates in aqueous oxalic acid solution; and (6) the heat capacity of neodymium metal in the temperature range of 0° to 250°C. In addition, the heats of solution and dilution of potassium chloride and oxalic acid hydrate in aqueous solution, and the heat capacity of tantalum metal from 0°C to 425°C have been measured

Zero field magnetic properties of gadolinium, terbium and samarium

The mutual inductance due to the presence of the sample in a coaxial, cylindrically wound inductance coil, has been observed for gadolinium, terbium and samarium in fields of a few oersteds over the temperature ranges 78 - 310°K, 78 - 235°K and 4.2 - l50°K. This mutual inductance might be referred to as an apparent susceptibility although a direct relationship between this apparent susceptibility and a static susceptibility is neither obvious nor presently calculable

Heats of solution and related thermochemical properties of some rare earth metals and chlorides

An isothermally jacketed calorimeter has been constructed to measure the changes in heat content accompanying the solution of some rare earth metals and compounds. To check the performance of the apparatus, the integral heats of solution of potassium nitrate in water at 25°C have been measured. The values corrected to infinite dilution by use of relative apparent molal heat content data in the literature give 8384 +/- 12 cals/mole. The result agrees well with the values reported by others

Some physical properties of rare-earth chlorides in aqueous solution

The aqueous solution behavior of some rare-earth chlorides has been investigated at 25° C. in the concentration range between 0.02 molal and saturation. Density measurements on solutions of lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, dysprosium, erbium, and ytterbium chlorides were carried out by a pycnometric method with an estimated accuracy of 1 x 10-5 gm.per ml. From the density data the apparent molal volumes for these rare-earth chlorides were calculated. The apparent molal volume data for each rare-earth chloride were expressed as a function of the square root of the molality by a five-parameter power series from which partial molal volumes were calculated. Conductance measurements on solutions of these rare-earth chlorides were carried out over the same concentration range using the conventional alternating-current technique. In addition, the solubilities of the rare-earth chlorides at 25° c. were determined

Conductances, transference numbers, and activity coefficients of chlorides of some high atomic rare earths in aqueous solution

The conductances, transference numbers, and activity coefficients of lanthanum chloride, samaric chloride, europic chloride, and ytterbic chloride were determined in order to test the present theories of electrolytic solutions as well as to make available accurate data on these useful properties for the above rare earth chlorides