Atomic oxygen effects on boron nitride and silicon nitride: A comparison of ground based and space flight data

The effects of atomic oxygen on boron nitride (BN) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) were evaluated in a low Earth orbit (LEO) flight experiment and in a ground based simulation facility. In both the inflight and ground based experiments, these materials were coated on thin (approx. 250A) silver films, and the electrical resistance of the silver was measured in situ to detect any penetration of atomic oxygen through the BN and Si3N4 materials. In the presence of atomic oxygen, silver oxidizes to form silver oxide, which has a much higher electrical resistance than pure silver. Permeation of atomic oxygen through BN, as indicated by an increase in the electrical resistance of the silver underneath, was observed in both the inflight and ground based experiments. In contrast, no permeation of atomic oxygen through Si3N4 was observed in either the inflight or ground based experiments. The ground based results show good qualitative correlation with the LEO flight results, indicating that ground based facilities such as the one at Los Alamos National Lab can reproduce space flight data from LEO

A comparison of ground-based and space flight data: Atomic oxygen reactions with boron nitride and silicon nitride

The effects of atomic oxygen on boron nitride (BN) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) have been studied in low Earth orbit (LEO) flight experiments and in a ground-based simulation facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Both the in-flight and ground-based experiments employed the materials coated over thin (approx 250 Angstrom) silver films whose electrical resistance was measured in situ to detect penetration of atomic oxygen through the BN and Si3N4 materials. In the presence of atomic oxygen, silver oxidizes to form silver oxide, which has a much higher electrical resistance than pure silver. Permeation of atomic oxygen through BN, as indicated by an increase in the electrical resistance of the silver underneath, was observed in both the in-flight and ground-based experiments. In contrast, no permeation of atomic oxygen through Si3N4 was observed in either the in-flight or ground-based experiments. The ground-based results show good qualitative correlation with the LEO flight results, thus validating the simulation fidelity of the ground-based facility in terms of reproducing LEO flight results

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR APRIL 1959

A concentration cell electrode was installed in a fritted glass surface and was used to measure the surface KCl concentration while water was being transpired through the surface into a mixed tank of 0.1 M KCl. The results from the first Fluorox run made with crude UF/sub 4/ showed that 85.3% of the theoretical amount of UF/sub 6/ was accounted for, with 17.9% being collected in cold traps and the remainder being consumed in various side reactions. Installation was completed of apparatus to study the electrolytic removal of nickel on an engineering scale from concentrated HRT fuel solution. An extremely low yield stress of 0.02 lb/sq ft was measured for a thoria-urania slurry containing 2.5 wt.% Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and spherical particles of 1.7 micron mean diameter. Preliminary data on the rate of uranium sorption on Dowex 21K from sulfate solutions were correlated with a simple spherical diffusion model. Laboratory scale studies to determine the effect of reflux time, HNO/sub 3/ concentration, and air sparge on chloride removal from APPR-type Darex dissolver product showed that an air sparge is definitely beneficial in chloride removal. Preliminary cyclic cleaning tests showed that boiling 25% caustic solution was adequate for cleaning type F (20 micron) porous metal filter elements fouled in the absence of filter aid with siliceous sludge from Darex solvent extraction feed solutions. Sections of unirradiated stainless steel-clad UO/sub 2/, sheared into lengths of 1/2 in., 1 in., 2 in., and 2 3/4 in., were leached free of UO/sub 2/ with 10 M HNO/sub 3/ in 30, 45, 60, and 75 min, respectively. The abrasive blade cost for the removal of inert end adapters from selected reactor assemblies ranges from 12 for the Gas-Cooled Reactor to 19 for Consolidated Edison. A zirconium dissolution was carried to completion at 600 ction prod- C in a NaF-LiF salt mixture containing initially 23 mol per cent ZrF/sub 4/ at an average rate of 1.3 mg/(cm/sup 2/)(min) with an HF feed rate of 2 lb/hr. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity at the center of an 8-in. diameter cake of Darex waste calcined at about 900 ction prod- C were determined as a function of temperature. (For preceding period see CF-59-3-61.) (auth

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR AUGUST 1959

The measured diffusivity of uranyl nitrate in water at 25 ction prod- C was 0.7 x 10/sup -6/ cm/sup 2//sec with about 40% average deviation. A program was started to develop nonnuclear uses for depleted uranium. Two continuous DRUHM reaction runs were terminated due to erratic operation of the sodium metering system. In the second Fluorox run with crude UF/sub 4/ which lasted for 29 hr, a total material balance of 94.8% was obtained and 17.9% of the theoretical amount of UF/sub 6/ was collected in cold traps and chemical traps. Room temperature flow rate-pressure drop calibrations of a multiclone (thirteen 0.60-in. diam hydroclones in parallel) for installation with the HRT replacement circulating pump were completed. Mixed oxides of U : Th = 0.08 : 1 and all have low yield stresses of 0.02 to 0.05 lb/sq ft compared to 0.2 to 1.0 lb/sq ft for normal Th-U or Th oxides of 1.5 to 2.5 micron mean diameter. The rates of uranium anion exchange from solutions containing between 0.025 and 0.20 M sulfate were measured and apparent uranium diffusion coefficients between 1.2 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//sec and 1.6 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//sec were calculated. In bench scale studies, the Darex reference flowsheet was successfully applied to stainless steel-clad UO/sub 2/ fuels (Yankee Atomic) and to aluminumuranium foreign reactor fuels. The corrosion of titanium A-55 was measured in the vapor and liquid phases of a modified boiling Thorex dissolvent (13 M HNO/sub 3/, 0.04 M F/sup -/, 0.1 M H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/) containing 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 M thorium from dissolved Consolidated Edison pellets and the maximum corrosion rate was 0.6 mils/ month. Siliceous filter cakes resulting from the filtration of Darex solvent extraction feed solutions through porous metal filter elements were easily washed to a uranium loss of 0.1% in the discarded cake. A run with an acid-deficient Darex-Redox feed containing soluble silica resulted in uranium losses higher by a factor of 20 than those previously obtained in the same column with a standard Redox feed. Batch leaching of sheared pieces, 1/2 in. to 5 in. long, of PWR reject UO/sub 2/ pellets clad with stainless steel, 0.40 in. o.d. with 0.10 in. wall, in boiling 10 M HNO/sub 3/ (173% excess) was completed in 70 to 245 min. Dissolution test runs of Zr-2 in fused salt made at approximately 700 ction prod- C under identical conditions except for HF feed rate resulted in dissolution rates of 1.87 and 2.68 mg/min-sq cm for 2.5 and 6.0 lb/hr HF feed rate, respectively. Purex and TBP-25 evaporated wastes were calcined at 900 to 1000 ction prod- C resulting in solid wastes which had densities of 0.77 to 0.83 and 0.40 to 0.45 g/cc, respectively. (For preceding period see CF-59-4-47.) (auth

Chemical Technology Division, Unit Operations Section Monthly Progress Report for June 1959

The addition of a surface active agent to an aqueousorganic interface produced a resistance to mass transfer equivalent to slightly more than 1 cm of water. Five semicontinuous Druhm runs were made with 1/2-in. thick MgO liners and terminated due to either failures of the UF/sub 6/ nozzle or a top gasket leak. In preliminary scale-up tests of the flame calcination equipment, a maximum feed rate equivalent to 720 g oxides/hr was achieved using a 3-in. i.d. magnesia reflector with an outside wall temperature of 1500 ction prod- C. In a test with a light water feed, 99% Cu, 25% Ni, and 0% Mn were removed from a UO/ sub 2/SO/sub 4/ solution by electrolysis with a mercury cathode in 7800 ampere hours. The effect of varying the total sulfate concentration on the kinetics of the absorption of uranyl sulfate on Dowex 21K at a uranium concentration of 0.005779 M and a sulfuric acid concentration of 0.020 M was studied in a series of runs using a stirred bath containing enriched uranium. Chloride was removed to 64 ppm in Yankee Atomic and to 70 ppm in APPR solvent extraction feeds using a reference Darex flowsheet with air sparging during a two hour reflux period in the 10-in. prototype titanium feed adjustment tank. Soluble uranium contained in a filter cake deposited onto a 20 micron porous metallic star shaped filter from approximately twenty-one liters of Darex solvent extraction feed solution was recovered to 99.9% by a single 5 liter water wash of the cake. An experimental Redox solvent extraction program was completed. Shear blade evaluation tests have begun at Birdsboro and Clearing under subcontract and will be completed by July 1. Tests were made on the separation of water associated with sheared material through porous bottom baskets as would be required in wet shearing concepts. Consolidated Edison prototype elements assembled with ductile Coast Metals 50 brazing metal could not be disassembled with the impact wedge previously successfully used to disassemble elements made up with brittle Nicrobraze 50. A reactor and condenser system designed to sublime ZrF/sub 4/ from the hydrofluorinator to a separate receiver at temperatures above 902 ction prod- C was operated at condensation rates between 150 and 500 g per hour of ZrF/sub 4/. The thermal conductivities of granular Darex, Purex, and TBP-25 calcined solids were in the range of 0.043 to 0.097 Btu/hr sq ft ( ction prod- F/ft) at room temperature. (For preceding period see CF-59-5-47.) (auth

CHEMICAL TECHINOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, APRIL 1960

A critical review of the literature revealed no experiments on uranyl ion transfer from an aqueous to a tributyl phosphate phase which positively measured the kinetics of the chemical reaction at the interphase. Drawing isorhythmic lines on a three component diagram gives a complex correlation for the compaction of three sizes of glass beads. Neither the use of thoria sols nor high feed solution concentrations of thorium nitrate gave any significant increase in mean particle diameters over those obtained from nitrate solutions of lower concentrations in flame denitration. A hydraulic film resistance has been detected in the anion exchange of uranyl sulfate into Dowex 2lK, and chloride elution was found to give a higher apparent uranium diffusion coefficient than nitrate elution. The rate of dissolution of mixed thorium-uranium oxides was determined as a function of the per cent of mixed oxides dissolved. Mixing in tanks packed with boron glass Raschig rings is being continued. The SRE hydraulic dejacketer has been operated successfully with prototype fuel rods. Excessive foaming was encountered when sheared stainless-clad UO/sub 2/ was suddenly contacted with boiling 13 M nitric acid. While attempting to shear a prototype Yankee subassembly with Kanigan brazed diffusion bonded joints, a five tube aggregate was formed at one of the two ferrule locations sheared. Of the 91 protective coatings exposed to ionizing radiation from the HRE, 25 of the coatings outside of the shield and 10 coatings inside the shield exhibited satisfactory resistance. HETS values in the acid Thorex flowsheet are reported. Waste calcination of simulated Purex waste in a 7-in.-diameter vessel gave rates slightly higher than predicted by the radial deposition model because of loss of feed due to excess foaming. (For preceding period see CF-60-6-11.) (auth

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity Associated with Artificial Agricultural Drainage Ditches

Agricultural drainage channels and ditches are ubiquitous features in the lowland agricultural landscapes, built primarily to facilitate land drainage, irrigate agricultural crops and alleviate flood risk. Most drainage ditches are considered artificial waterbodies and are not typically included in routine monitoring programmes, and as a result the faunal and floral communities they support are poorly quantified. This paper characterizes the aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity (alpha, beta and gamma) of agricultural drainage ditches managed by an internal drainage board in Lincolnshire, UK. The drainage ditches support very diverse macroinvertebrate communities at both the site (alpha diversity) and landscape scale (gamma diversity) with the main arterial drainage ditches supporting greater numbers of taxa when compared to smaller ditches. Examination of the between site community heterogeneity (beta diversity) indicated that differences among ditches were high spatially and temporally. The results illustrate that both main arterial and side ditches make a unique contribution to aquatic biodiversity of the agricultural landscape. Given the need to maintain drainage ditches to support agriculture and flood defence measures, we advocate the application of principles from ‘reconciliation ecology’ to inform the future management and conservation of drainage ditches

Progress in evaluation of radionuclide geochemical information developed by DOE high-level nuclear waste repository site projects. Annual report, October 1984-September 1985. Volume 4

Information pertaining to the potential geochemical behavior of radionuclides at candidate sites for a high-level radioactive waste repository, which is being developed by projects within the Department of Energy (DOE), is being evaluated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). During this report period, emphasis was placed on the evaluation of information pertinent to the Hanford site in southeastern Washington. Results on the sorption/solubility behavior of technetium, neptunium, and uranium in the basalt/water geochemical system are summarized and compared to the results of DOE. Also, summaries of results are reported from two geochemical modeling studies: (1) an evaluation of the information developed by DOE on the native copper deposits of Michigan as a natural analog for the emplacement of copper canisters in a repository in basalt, and (2) calculation of the solubility and speciation of radionuclides for representative groundwaters from the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada

Intelligence and Slave Export Intensity: A Cross-Country Empirical Assessment

The literature has not sufficiently engaged the emergence and expansion of the phenomenon of Slave export. This article contributes to the existing stream by examining the role of human capital or intelligence on slave exports. We postulate and justify a reasonable hypothesis that countries which were endowed with higher human capital levels were more likely to experience lower levels of slave exports probably due to relatively better abilities to organise, corporate, oversee and confront slave vendors. Our findings with alternative specifications involving varying conditioning information sets confirm the investigated hypothesis. The findings are also robust to the control of outliers