METALLURGY DIVISION QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDING JULY 31, 1952
The effect of strain rate on the tensile properties of thorium is being investigated. It was found that the yield strength increases slightly with increasing strain rate, and that tensile strength increases but to a lesser extent. The shear modulus was determined to be 4.26 x 10/sup 6/ psi. A preprocess thorium was made, giving a value of 5.0871 plus or minus 0.0002 A. Studies on the fabrication of thorium by extrusion and drawing were continued, as were studies on the extrusion cladding of thorium and uranium with zirconium. In order to determine whether or not the type of preferred orientation developed in alpha -extruded uranium rod was dependent on the actual extrusion temperature, x- raydiffraction studies were made of completely recrystallized and unrecrystallized extruded uranium. The results show that the texture developed upon deformation is not always retained upon recrystallization. The corrosion testing of various metals and alloys in liquid sodium, lead, and lithium and in molten fluorides and hydroxides was continued. The interaction of sodium with 316 stainless steel appears negligible during static testing. The testing of the molten media in thermal convection loops continues to be plagged by failures other than corrosion. The investigation of means of fabrication of solid fuel elements by powder metallurgy techniques has progressed. Only minor segregation of U0/sub 2/ in an iron matrix was noted after hot rolling. Stainless steel matrices, on the other hand, displayed considerable segregation. Rubberstatic pressing was added as a technique for the fabrication of fuel elements and control rods. The Creep Laboratory is essentially complete. The stady of thermocouple stability in vacuum has shown that chromel-alumel couples give consistent checks with control and reference temperatures, whereas iron- constantan and platinum- 10% rhodium couples gave erratic results. Some preliminary results were obtained on uranium, thorium, 316 stainless steel, Inconel, and columbium. The evaluatlon of welded tube-to-header Joints of Inconel received considerable attention. Tests in tension show that the joint is of the same order of magnitude as the original material, the failures occurring in the zone adjacent to the weld. A rotating tabular beam fatigue test apparatus was developed, and preliminary tests show that joints with complete penetration have better fatigue life than joints with 70% penetration. The establishment of a ceramics laboratory proceeded satisfactorily. Basic research, engineering development, and service work will be done. In research on the fundamentals of liquid metal---solid metal Interaction, the immersion of copper in liquid bismuth resulted in the deposition of copper crystals removed from the specimen. This might be the result of one or more mechanisms: thermal gradients, thermal cycling, or free energy changes. A program to investigate the alloys of the transition elements in order to reconcile the theories of Mott and Jones, and Pauling concerning these elements was initiated. At present Ihe program will concern itself with Group IV-A elements: titanium, zirconium, and hafnium. Zirconium alloyed with nickel and with tungsten ls belng studied. Thus far the nickel alloy up to 4.08% by weight of nickel quenched in various ways has been studied. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-002672
- OSTI ID:
- 4229447
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-1108
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Decl. Oct. 9, 1959. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ALLOYS- CORROSION- FLUORIDES- FUSED SALTS- HYDROXIDES- LEAD- LIQUID METALS- LITHIUM- MATERIALS TESTING- METALS- PRESSURE- SODIUM
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