SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS Table 2— Production Reactor Operations Product and site April-June 1958 July —September 1958 Plutontum Hanford Savannah River Total plutonfum Tritium Savannah River ' . - “TED pe Total reactor products Plutonium Plutonium 239 separations were 2 percent more than forecast. An interim program wasinitiated to produce test amounts of plutonium 238 for certain weapon purposes, and plans were being formulated for a larger scale production program. (See also Part DI of this report.) Plutonium 238 is formed by irradiating neptunium 237, an isotope which is found in small but extractable quantities in irradiated uranium. Plans call for recovering neptunium from the process streams of chemical separation plants by Jon-: xchange techniques. After the neptunium is incorporated into reactor target elements and irr:ciated, the plutonium 238 can then be separated from the remaining neptunium. The initial program is being operated on an interim basis using existing facilities and laboratory equipment. Since only small quantities of plutonium 238 are contemplated, there will be no appreciable effect on the plutonium 239 production schedules, Tritium Tritium se,arations for the quarter were about as forecast. July production sag relatively low because a quantity of aged target slugs was processed. These slugs originally had received Jess irradiation than is currently given tritium target elements, and, moreover, the original tritium content had been reduced by decay into helium 3. Production in August and September was devoted to processing more current material, A second separations line was started up in August in Savannah River’s H area. The new capacity »ill permit reduction of the accumulated inventory of irradiated material. Three of Savannah River’s five reactors will continue to operate with enricied loading for tritium production throughout the next quarter. Early in 1859 one of these reactors is scheduled to return to plutonium production. URANIUM! 235 DOE ARCHIVES epi The quantity of uranium 225 produced in the July-September quarter was slightly higher than forecast and 11 percent more than in the preceding quarter. LITHIUM The production of lithium 6 was essentially as forecast. er