Hank Gilbert with a large melting furnace, circa 1948. Gilbert was key in helping develop a method for scaling up zirconium production, along with Dr. Kroll, Travis Anderson, and Leland Yerkes.
General history, database & publication links
History Hub NARA Research Support Community: https://historyhub.history.gov/welcome
1946 Report on the Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory
Nuclear Propulsion Plant of the USS Nautilus:
U.S. Government Copyright guides: https://www.usa.gov/government-works/
NETL FOIA request form: https://netl.doe.gov/form/foia-request-form
National Technical Reports Library: https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI): https://www.osti.gov/
National Technical Information Service (NTIS): https://classic.ntis.gov/help/order-placing/
OSTI OpenNet: https://www.osti.gov/opennet/
DOE Declassification System: https://fas.org/sgp/library/rdd-5.html#I58
NRC Public Document Room: https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/pdr.html
TRAIL: AEC Series Processing Inventories: https://trailguides.crl.edu/series/AEC
Hanford History Project: https://tricities.wsu.edu/hanfordhistory/
DOE Photo Archive: https://www.energy.gov/management/office-management/employee-services/photography#ETVC
Science.gov: https://www.science.gov/topicpages/z/zircon+sands+processed
A is for Albany, Z is for Zirconium/ The Ore Bin, 1967: https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OBv29n10.pdf
The Atomic Energy Commission by Alice Buck, 1983: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/AEC%20History.pdf
Defense Technical Information Center: https://discover.dtic.mil/results/?q=%22albany%2C%20oregon%22#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=%22albany%2C%20oregon%22&gsc.page=1
Production of Malleable Zirconium, W. J. Kroll and W.W. Stephens/ https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ie50482a046
Aerial hi-res photo collection of Albany / Albany Regional Museum: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPYBv5a9UnVT-641m6xK8JHxuDGemLyEE9RtPLv_-HiaRFhyNef1Aq_bTVP5FMFNg/photo/AF1QipPtgkLxd6gXhZr9u3JlkbEBYafeF1YRzCOjDy1-?key=UERHdGtydGUtT3pxZFRNQmhyYVpoa1JmX1hjX3Rn
Zirconium: A Bibliography of Unclassified Literature, 1951: https://books.google.com/books?id=Uxc2WiErclEC&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=%22malleable+titanium+and+zirconium%22+%2B+Kroll&source=bl&ots=IL0eqHt_qO&sig=ACfU3U2mDsmB7Ge_u5btp9KY_LMwWMgvMQ&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwje-66wsobnAhXD3J4KHX4wDMoQ6AEwAnoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22malleable%20titanium%20and%20zirconium%22%20%2B%20Kroll&f=false
Zr-Hf sludge agriculture usage: https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1717/nureg-1717.pdf
Thorium waste at Hanford from Albany: https://xcdsystem.com/wmsym/archives//2012/papers/12427.pdf
United States, Congress, Senate, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 1957 (Thorium): https://books.google.com/books?id=l8wjAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA5-PA137&lpg=RA5-PA137&dq=%22albany,+Oregon%22+%2B+thorium&source=bl&ots=aQ2RMZjg-Y&sig=ACfU3U3327KMLTfVWUQfNucACpHRJ69AnQ&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOyLeHvNXmAhVKGDQIHcXiBB4Q6AEwBnoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22albany%2C%20Oregon%22%20%2B%20thorium&f=false
Research and Development in the field of Thorium Chemistry and Metallurgy, 1956 (thorium melting in Albany): https://books.google.com/books?id=xVBoF1R93X4C&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=%22Thorium%22+%2B+%22Albany,+Oregon%22&source=bl&ots=IVcRA34AAp&sig=ACfU3U0cV3iPkKBZbqRF-GiD1BBSTvbMFg&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiUp7qE9ObnAhVXu54KHfIHA9wQ6AEwCXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Thorium%22%20%2B%20%22Albany%2C%20Oregon%22&f=false
High Temperature Experiments with Zirconium Compounds by Kroll, Carmody, and Schlechten, 1952; (bibliography of earlier works at end): https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078493148&view=1up&seq=46
Fundamentals of Metallic Corrosion (Zirconium overview): https://books.google.com/books?id=_6vNqsL16LsC&pg=PA571&lpg=PA571&dq=%22hafnium%22+%2B+%22zirconium%22+%2B+1947+%2B+oregon&source=bl&ots=pSFE1t2z_u&sig=ACfU3U1ewZyeCWR8NGilp5nzJquYXK0iaQ&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjs7ci32NroAhWGIDQIHbG-D10Q6AEwB3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22hafnium%22%20%2B%20%22zirconium%22%20%2B%201947%20%2B%20oregon&f=false
Albany Bureau of Mines Scrapbook 1943-1946/ from the Steve Anderson Collection:
Albany Bureau of Mines Scrapbook 1946-1960/ from the Steve Anderson Collection:
William J. Kroll, A Luxembourg Scientist, Edited by Fondation Nicolas Lanners (unavailable online)
Black Sand, by Kathleen L. Housley (unavailable online)
Introduction: The Captain and the Scientist bibliography links (early 1950’s)
History of the development of zirconium alloys for use in nuclear reactors: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4240391-history-development-zirconium-alloys-use-nuclear-reactors
Chapter 1: The Power of Albany bibliography links (1940)
BPA Annual Report, 1943 (mentions possibility of an electrodevelopment laboratory):
1946 Report on the Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory
United States Bureau of Mines 1976: https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00022529/00001/29
United States Bureau of Mines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Bureau_of_Mines
Vince Hurley’s Train Recollection:
Albany Research Center Vol. 1, A Historical Evaluation, 1998/ U.S. Dept. of Reclamation, Bobbie Ferguson, Christine Pfaff
Albany Research Center Vol. 2, Inventory Forms, June 1997:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memo to Senator McNary:
Chapter 2: Forward Momentum bibliography links (1943)
The Home: Log entries from the Ladies’ Aid Society Orphans Home, compiled by Bev Haven:
Steve Anderson on the NYA Machine Shop:
Chapter 3: A Laboratory Takes Shape bibliography links (1944)
RI 5141: Titanium Plant at Boulder City, NV: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078540179
IC 8266:
IC 8268: A.J. Kauffman Jr. :https://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usbm/ic/text/ic8268.pdf
Kroll Correspondence, April 27, 1944:
Chapter 4: Shifting Sands bibliography links (Fall 1944)
Hotel Benton National Register of Historic Places: https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/82003719.pdf
Mineral Resources of the United States, 1911: https://books.google.com/books?id=hAA6AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA996&lpg=PA996&dq=day+and+richards+platinum+coos+county&source=bl&ots=6srpz-XWhI&sig=ACfU3U1V_cewj7QMz1LRuooeGmYGMMH0FQ&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLyaqQ_O3lAhUYvp4KHV6lDyAQ6AEwDHoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=day%20and%20richards%20platinum%20coos%20county&f=false
History of Primary Magnesium: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48099-2_12
Dogami Bulletin no. 24: https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/B/B-024.pdf
USGS Strategic Materials Investigation 1944, Mineralogical and Physical Composition of the Sands of theOregon Coast from Coos Bay to the Mouth of the Columbia River, by Allan B. Griggs, Bulletin no. 30: https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0945e/report.pdf
Black Sand of the Pacific Coast, 1905: https://books.google.com/books?id=MBRAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA163&lpg=PA163&dq=dr.+day+dr.+richards+sand+samples&source=bl&ots=LO4YYIB0nZ&sig=ACfU3U1La_QvyTDQaauYf2lmjY9qZhwrVw&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCg9GWs-_lAhXEuZ4KHQmnD18Q6AEwAHoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Mining and Engineering World (V. 23, 1905):
Information Circular 8261, 1965: https://books.google.com/books?id=jI2BA67kIxgC&pg=PT571&dq=zircon+sands+coos+bay+oregon+information+circular&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJuui85vDlAhURFjQIHaviAWUQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=zircon%20sands%20coos%20bay%20oregon%20information%20circular&f=false
Platnium by Dr. David t. Day, Ph D.:https://books.google.com/books?id=PzwX-xbaUGIC&pg=PA661&lpg=PA661&dq=mr.+day+and+mr.+kemp+platinum+oregon&source=bl&ots=ZWPcbW9eg-&sig=ACfU3U3j49qf9tJY2lNV193B0eTHCuyVnw&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj42KzOne7lAhXfFzQIHcqkDBIQ6AEwAXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=mr.%20day%20and%20mr.%20kemp%20platinum%20oregon&f=false
Mineralogical and Physical Composition of the Sands of theOregon Coast from Coos Bay to the Mouth of the Columbia River by W.H. Twenhofel: https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/B/B-030.pdf
Krome Corporation Records Index: http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv51245/pdf
RI 4915: High Temperature Experiments with Zirconium and Zirconium Compounds, published Nov. 1952, with work by Kroll, Carmody, and Schlechten. Confirms zircon was taken from Coquille. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078493148&view=1up&seq=15
Materials Survey: Chromium, 1962, confirms separations plant near Coquille: https://books.google.com/books?id=CvVpXqECmBwC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=%22southwestern+engineering+company%22+oregon&source=bl&ots=uCO8dwVUKg&sig=ACfU3U25g5xiFLoebRP1SKO6_gH5wqHKIw&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGlJy3o57nAhXXpZ4KHfcQBRIQ6AEwAHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22southwestern%20engineering%20company%22%20oregon&f=false
IC 7761: Mentions Defense Plant Corporation Separations Plant at Beaver Hill: https://books.google.com/books?id=vuKjxfYiuuUC&pg=RA6-PA12&lpg=RA6-PA12&dq=Defense+Plant+Corporation+Separation+Plant+%2B+beaver+hill&source=bl&ots=fMyF9Et_1u&sig=ACfU3U3Jji74yrIilrZwkJMO6FZRwVpBLg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg7fuPwcfsAhUCip4KHaYACCMQ6AEwAXoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=Defense%20Plant%20Corporation%20Separation%20Plant%20%2B%20beaver%20hill&f=false
Bulletin 945-E, Chromite-bearing Sands of the Southern Part of the Coast of Oregon: https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0945e/report.pdf
Chapter 5: Trial and Triumph bibliography links (Jan 1945)
Liquid Metal Processing and Casting Experiences at the US Department of Energy’s Albany Research Center, Paul D. Jablonski and Paul C. Turner: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/901746
Chapter 6: The Little Laboratory that Could bibliography links (1945-July 1947)
IC 7341: Survey of Literature on the Metallurgy of Zirconium, by Kroll and Schlechten, 1946: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015077577651&view=1up&seq=3
Chapter 7: The Ghost in the Machine bibliography links (1947-48)
The Manhattan Project: An Interactive History: https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/
Nuclear Navy: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/08/f2/HewlettandDuncanNuclearNavyComplete.pdf
History of the development of zirconium alloys for use in nuclear reactors: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4240391-history-development-zirconium-alloys-use-nuclear-reactors
Oak Ridge National Laboratory: The First Fifty Years By Leland Johnson, Daniel Schaffer:https://books.google.com/books?id=y5WjYgMc7eEC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=herbert+pomerance+and+hafnium&source=bl&ots=Cl9BtOIhZ0&sig=ACfU3U1kK5lN5MisljaqplAqFwVcs_dhMA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf6LyX5K_sAhWnCjQIHdgsBLUQ6AEwDHoECAgQAg#v=onepage&q=herbert%20pomerance%20and%20hafnium&f=false
Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry, A. R. Kaufman Reference https://www.google.com/books/edition/Zirconium_in_the_Nuclear_Industry/N2wAco8Yc-MC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=kaufman+%2B+MIT+hafnium&pg=PA36&printsec=frontcover
Ore Bin, Nov. 1989: https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OGv51n06.pdf
Stockpile and Accessibility of Strategic and Critical Materials to the United States in Time of War 1954: https://books.google.com/books?id=AXAssn1-OCMC&pg=RA1-PA64&lpg=RA1-PA64&dq=%22kaufman%22+%2B+hafnium+%2B+MIT&source=bl&ots=IMri53f6gK&sig=ACfU3U37kEhDqNTRoaMSfg1RmoD7_OcsDQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5hLaNqLrpAhWCNX0KHdtpCVIQ6AEwBXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22kaufman%22%20%2B%20hafnium%20%2B%20MIT&f=falsehttps://books.google.com/books?id=AXAssn1-OCMC&pg=RA1-PA64&lpg=RA1-PA64&dq=%22kaufman%22+%2B+hafnium+%2B+MIT&source=bl&ots=IMri53f6gK&sig=ACfU3U37kEhDqNTRoaMSfg1RmoD7_OcsDQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5hLaNqLrpAhWCNX0KHdtpCVIQ6AEwBXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22kaufman%22%20%2B%20hafnium%20%2B%20MIT&f=false
Physics Today, Herbert Pomerance: https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2809022
RI 5485, A.J. Kauffman, Jr., Differential Thermal Analysis Applied to the Lime-Soda Sinter Process: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078486548&view=1up&seq=3
Atomic Heritage.org: Glenn Seaborg: https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/glenn-seaborg
The Metallurgy of Hafnium, edited by D.E. Thomas and E.T. Hayes / Naval Reactors & AEC: https://books.google.com/books?id=dqKgCIbq7hEC&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=did+seaborg+first+separate+hafnium+from+zirconium?&source=bl&ots=OuKL-QwcfM&sig=ACfU3U2rKvr_6pAFAOIVHP10Rri386k0kw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-o4GFg9HpAhULt54KHagYAX0Q6AEwCnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=did%20seaborg%20first%20separate%20hafnium%20from%20zirconium%3F&f=false
The Ion Exchange Separation of Zirconium and Hafnium, 1948, Glenn Seaborg and Kenneth Street Jr.: https://escholarship.org/content/qt7r23s1kg/qt7r23s1kg.pdf
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Review / 1983 / Captain Rickover and Oak Ridge by Herb Pomerance (A.R. Kaufman + Hf) https://www.google.com/books/edition/Review/w0s0ZGloTKoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22a.R.+Kaufman%22+%2B+hafnium&pg=PA21&printsec=frontcover
Third Biennial Report, Postwar Readjustment and Development Commission: https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Documents/after-post-prdc6.pdf
Fir Oaks Charter 1948:
Admiral Rickover’s Gamble: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1959/01/admiral-rickovers-gamble/308436/
Miracle Metals Serving in War and Peace by Robert Gordon, Sc. D. : https://www.power-eng.com/2000/10/01/miracle-metals-serving-in-war-and-peace151a-history-of-the-role-two-rare-metals-played-in-the-birth-of-nuclear-power/
Uranium Hunting Guides: http://national-radiation-instrument-catalog.com/new_page_14.htm
Chapter 8: Radio Silence bibliography links (1949-)
History of the Development of Zirconium Alloys for use in Nuclear Reactors: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4240391
Westinghouse Elec. Corp. v. Titanium Metals Corp. Explains zirconium for submarine development. https://casetext.com/case/westinghouse-elec-corp-v-titanium-metals-corp
Miracle Metals Serving in War and Peace—A History of the Role Two Rare Metals Played in the Birth of Nuclear Power: https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/miracle-metals-serving-in-war-and-peace151a-history-of-the-role-two-rare-metals-played-in-the-birth-of-nuclear-power/#gref
The Chemical Analysis of Zirconium and Zircaloy Metals/AEC https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4325231
Large Scale Laboratory Production of Ductile Zirconium by Kroll, Anderson, H.P. Holmes, Leland Yerkes, and Hank Gilbert: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.874.9011&rep=rep1&type=pdf
USMB Director James Boyd bio: https://www.nae.edu/188825/JAMES-BOYD-19041987
AEC Press Release on thorium needs, 1948: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1951v01/d240
Technical Report for the period February through April 1948, A.R. Kaufmann: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4319842
Melting and Casting Zirconium Metal, 1949, Kroll and Gilbert: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.832.9642&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Future References:
A Bibliography of Confidential U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Reports/1956: https://books.google.com/books?id=jpxf3r_-axkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Properties of Zirconium and Its Possibilities for Thermal Reactors, Jan 1949, by Fairchild of the Power Pile Division, AEC/ORNL: https://technicalreports.ornl.gov/1949/3445603603704.pdf
**Corrosion Studies on Titanium and Zirconium Metals, began 1947, pub 1950: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA951676.pdf
Zirconium Progress Report, July 1953: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4344049/
The Development of a Melting Method for Conversion of Zr Sponge to Corrosion Resistant Ingot, May 1950: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4389077-development-melting-method-conversion-zirconium-sponge-corrosion-resistant-ingot
UNCLASSIFIED: (Redacted) Thermal Structural , Electrical, Magnetic and other Physical Properties of Titanium, Zirconiu, Hafnium, and Thorium and some of their Simple Compounds….etc. Technical Report No. 102-AC49/2-100-2, 1 February 1950 (USAF on Zirconium)
DECLASSIFIED: Albany Tin Reclamation, 1952:
Radiation Hazards Encountered in Arc Melting Thorium, RI 5969:
The Ore Bin, 1959, yttrium and moly in Albany: https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OBv21all.pdf
Minerals Yearbook 1951 (zirconium history overview): https://books.google.com/books?id=VMnWV70AYE4C&pg=PA1348&lpg=PA1348&dq=%22navy+department%22+%2B+%22ductile+zirconium%22+%2B+1947&source=bl&ots=BV5lBNTY-Z&sig=ACfU3U1GiL8kKvC5vysRoGS8XcGK5uUWrQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFgfudvIDpAhWP9Z4KHbdrAr4Q6AEwAHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22navy%20department%22%20%2B%20%22ductile%20zirconium%22%20%2B%201947&f=false
Zirconium, by Stephen M. Shelton, Scientific American 1951: https://www.scientificamerican.com/index.cfm/_api/render/file/?method=inline&fileID=6E87DAA0-CC1F-46CA-AB58EA1B57890804
APPLICATION OF LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION FOR THE SEPARATION OF ZIRCONIUM FROM HAFNIUM, Foos, R. A.; Wilhelm, H. A. 1954: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4354500
Irradiation Processing Department Monthly Report, May 1963 (trip logs to Albany re: thorium): https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10108270
The Nuclear Industry 1968 (info on Wah Chang Zr production): https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11166/84687/cogjm.Report_Nuclear_Industry_1968.pdf?sequence=1
Interview with Howard Poppleton: Consensus Decision Making
Interview with Howard Poppleton: Phosphates
Interview with Howard Poppleton: Hafnium
Interview with Howard Poppleton: Cobalt 60 Project
Direct Reduction Processes for the Production of Titanium Metal / National Research Council (info on early Titanium work): https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a374031.pdf
Petrographic Correspondence 1951: (retrieved from NARA/College Park, MD)
Telephone Directory, 1953:
Wah Chang Article, 1958:
Many thanks to Steve Anderson for digitizing many of the documents into .pdf format, and for Dennis Emerson for his specialty metals archive work at the Albany Regional Museum.
