At 3:00 p.m. the Committee met with Mr. Murray, Mr, Zuckert, and Mr.
Boyer.
-
All members of the Committee, the Secretary, and Mr. Tomei were
present.
.
Dr. Rabi began by reviewing the Committee's reaction to the proposed
Meeting
the
legislative and policy changes, and said the Committee hoped to return to
. these questions, perhaps on the basis of an outline to be prepared by Mr.
loners Murphree.
oneal patents.
Manager
Mr, Murray said the only really difficult point was that of
Industry will wish very broad patent rights,
Perhaps a 5-year
Legisla- breathing period (the first 5 out of the usual 17-year patent right period)
Changesas a moratorium on patent rights would be helpful?
In any case the
tence Commission would be very grateful for any help the Committee could give
on the patent question (in general, not just the question of contractor
patents),
“Dr. Rabi said that there has been little evidence of progress in
Chemical chemical processing for breeding and power reactors, and it might be
Process-
ing
desirable to interest some very capable companies in the problem.
Mr.
vests
Murphree observed that mich progress has been made but the plants are still
too expensive, and radical simplifications based on present knowledge or
radical new developments are necessary.
The present cost of separation
for the breeder is about 7 mills/kwh, or about where the total cost should
be,
Dr. Libby suggested that. private companies might be offered a chance
to bid, for profit, on extracting the plutonium from a ton of uranium,
Mr. Murphree stressed the point that high burnup, requiring less frequent
processing for given energy release, is essential,
Os
ger
on .
WD
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DOE ARCHIVES...
—
Gercone
wens
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