Evaluation of Uranium Processing 

Days for Joslyn Manufacturing: 

SCA-TR-SP2015-0050, Rev. 0

Robert Anigstein, PhD, SC&A, Inc.

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, Work 

Group on TBD-6000

February 14, 2024
2

Independent evaluation of uranium processing 

days

 Appendix J to TBD-6000 lists the dates uranium billets were rolled 

into fuel rods

 Separately listed are the dates uranium rods were machined, using 

centerless grinding (CLG) to reduce the rods’ diameters

 Separate evaluations of rolling and machining days were needed to 

assess intakes of uranium dust, since CLG generated much more 

uranium dust

 Since NIOSH concluded it could not estimate internal doses at 

Joslyn with sufficient accuracy prior to August 1, 1948, there was no 

need to separate the rolling and machining operations that occurred 

prior to that date
3

Evaluation of uranium processing days, January–

June1943 from Site Research Database (SRDB)

 Chipman (1943) cited the rolling of three ingots on March 13, 1943

 Chipman and Greninger (1943) described rolling of six billets on 

June 29, 1943

 DeBlois (1946, Part 2) stated Joslyn used 32.3 tons uranium to 

produce 23.5 tons of rods─completed on June 25, 1943

 Later documents indicate Joslyn could roll 3–10 tons of uranium per 

day

– Early productivity assumed to be at the low end of the scale due to lack of 

experience

– SC&A assumes that Joslyn spent 11 days rolling 32.3 tons of uranium cited 

by DeBlois (1946, Part 2) prior to June 25, plus 1 day on June 29
4

Further evaluation of uranium processing days 

in 1943

 University of Chicago (U of C) issued subcontract to Joslyn for CLG 

on uranium fuel rods and tubes at $12.00/h (August 15, 1943)

– Greninger and Van Echo (1943a) described CLG of uranium rods at Joslyn

• Duration between 1 and 17 days

– Greninger and Van Echo (1943b) described CLG of 14 extruded uranium rods 

(September 7, 1943)

• Using time-saving procedures, rods were ground in 8 hours, suggesting previous 

grinding could have taken longer

• Claimant-favorable assumption: First grinding took 2 days; experience gained allowed 

Joslyn to perform second operation more quickly

– Simmons (1944a) reported 17 processing days

• 16 days of CLG plus preparation for shipping on December 15

• Analysis assumes a single worker could have worked continuously for 17 days

• Note: Workers at General Steel Industries reported 65 hours/week during peak 

activities
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Table 1. Uranium processing days at Joslyn, 

1943

Dates Quantity Workdays

Before June 25 12 tons 11

June 29 6 billets 1

Before September 1 N/A 2

Before September 7 N/A 1

November 29–September 7 N/A 17

Total workdays N/A 32
6

Evaluation of uranium processing days under 

U of C subcontract: 1/1/1944–6/30/1946

 Five agreements after initial U of C contract

 Each agreement listed cumulative cost ceiling

 Given rate of $12/h, SC&A estimated maximum hours during 

each contract period

 SC&A estimated the number of workdays based on the 

assumed length of the workday for the given time period

– Prior to 1951, workday was assumed to be 9.6 hours long

– These five agreements and the estimated maximum number of 

uranium machining days in each period are summarized in table 2
7

Table 2. Agreements modifying Joslyn’s 

subcontract with the University of Chicago

Agreement

no.

Date

from Date to Cost limit

(cumulative) Workdays (a)

1 1/1/44 6/30/44 $5,000

2 1/1/44 6/30/44 $10,000 87

3 7/1/44 12/31/44 $20,000 87

4 1/1/45 6/30/45 $30,000 87

5 7/1/45 6/30/46 $35,000 43

(a) Estimated on the basis of $12/h, 9.6 h/d
8

Documented uranium processing days in 1944, 

exclusive of U of C contract

 Fuqua (1944) reported rollings on May 8–9

 Simmons (1944b) reported rolling and grinding on June 1–5

 Simmons (1944c) reported rolling on June 19–20

 Joslyn rolled uranium rods for duPont on May 9–11, June 2, 

and June 22–24 (duPont, 1945)

 King (1945) reported rollings on December 11–12 and 

December 20–28 under the duPont contract

 The specifically documented uranium workdays in 1944, 

excluding machining performed under the U of C subcontract, 

are summarized in table 3
9

Table 3. Documented uranium processing days in 1944, 

excluding machining under U of C subcontract

Dates Workdays

May 8–11 4

June 1–8 5

June 19–24 6

October 2–November 30 61

December 11–12, 20–28 11

Total documented 87
10

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1945

 Koenig (1945) reported an order for 12 tons of rolled rods from 

District Office

– 25 of an order of 220 threaded rods to be shipped by Joslyn by week March 5

– Bassett and Belmore (1945) reported order was completed on May 16

– Elapsed time = 11 weeks: entire order of 220 rods could have taken 62 

workdays

 Joslyn supplied 222 rods to NRX Reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, in 

1945

– Order took ≈63 days to complete

– Two orders could have been one and the same

• 220 rods vs 222 (slight discrepancy)

• Diameter =1.360 in. for both orders

 SC&A estimates a total of 63 days of uranium exposure in 1945
11

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1946

 Uranium workdays during 1946 are estimated on the basis of uranium metal 

shipments to and from Joslyn

 Beeler (1947) referred to the production of 15 tons of rods by Joslyn for Great 

Britain

 Other documented shipments from Joslyn during the latter part of that year:

– 4,407 lb (shipping weight) of rods shipped to Hanford in October and 11 tons of rods 

shipped to Hanford during November, for a total production of 28.2 tons

– Production of 12 tons of rods in 1945, estimated to require 62 days

– Given that rate, ≈146 workdays required to produce 28.2 tons of rods in 1946

– SC&A makes the claimant-favorable assumption that production started on September 3 

and that the final rods for Great Britain were shipped on December 31, a span of 17 

weeks plus 1 weekday

– Assuming a worker worked 5 days/week, there would thus have been 86 uranium 

workdays during 1946
12

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1947

 Smith (1947) reported 10 tons of uranium billets received by Joslyn on July 28, 

1947

 The billets were rolled into rods on August 5–6

– Cleanup completed August 7

– Shipment scheduled for August 8

 SC&A estimates the uranium was handled for 6 days during July 28–August 8

 It is plausible and claimant favorable to assume 6 days of external exposure 

during this operation

– Billets were presumably stored in a warehouse under armed guard July 29–August 3

– Little potential for exposure during this time

 This is the only uranium operation during 1947 for which SC&A found any 

records in the SRDB, nor is there any information that Joslyn had a contract with 

AEC or one of its contractors during that year
13

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1948

 Under Contract AT-30-1-GEN 281 (1948), Joslyn was to roll 170 tons of uranium, 

starting on March 1 and ending no later than April 30

– According to “Hanford Works Monthly Report: March, 1948” rolling began February 28

– Supplemental Agreements Nos.1–3 successively extended period of performance to 

June 30

– Supplemental Agreement No. 4 extended period of performance from July 2 to no later 

than July 31

– Macherey (1948) requested Joslyn to roll 7 billets in early August: most likely done in one 

day

 Uranium was handled at Joslyn from February 28 to June 30 and again from 

July 2 to July 31, a period that spans 22 weeks, for a total of 110 weekdays

 Adding 1 day in August results in 111 workdays

– Total includes 110 days during SEC period, when NIOSH performs only partial dose 

reconstructions based on external exposure, as well as 1 day of rolling in the post-SEC 

period, when both external and internal doses are reconstructed
14

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1949

 Garrow (1959) reported fabrication of 244 uranium rods at Joslyn in 1949 

for the NRX reactor

 275 billets were rolled into rods on May 26–27

 Klevin (1952, Appendix B) presented job analysis sheets for processing 

uranium rods at Joslyn based on site visit in January 1952

 Limiting operation is CLG

 Operation staffed by one man per shift

– 18 rods processed per shift

– 2 shifts per day

– Grinding 275 rods required ≈8 days

– Allow 1 day for other processes mentioned by Garrow (1959)

– Estimate 9 days of uranium handling at Joslyn

– Single worker could have been exposed during this whole time
15

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1950

 Belmore (1950) asked Joslyn for a quote on 305 fuel rods for the 

National Research Council (NRC) of Canada.

– SC&A estimates rolling and finishing 305 rods took 10 days, based on 

production rate in 1949.

 Rods produced from 185–200 lb billets (84–91 kg). If rod ≈75% 

mass of billet, total mass of rods ≈18,000 kg.

 Based on the mass, SC&A estimates their production took 3 days.

 Stroke (1950) observed rolling of uranium rods for NRC on August 

10 and 11, and other experimental rollings.

– SC&A estimates these rollings occupied at least 3 days.

 SC&A estimates there were 16 days of machining and rolling during 

1950.
16

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1951

 “Hanford Works Monthly Report for July 1951” mentioned 

orientation studies on 4 rods rolled at Joslyn

– No other mention of such rolling during 1951, prior to time of report

– SC&A makes the claimant-favorable assumption that the rods were produced 

in 1951

– SC&A assumes production included machining as well as rolling

 National Lead Company of Ohio conducted a uranium dust survey 

during machining operations at Joslyn on October 24 (AEC, 1951)

 SC&A assigned 2 days of exposure to uranium machining during 

1951

– Absent other documentation, there is no basis for assigning additional 

uranium exposure days in 1951
17

Evaluation of uranium processing days: 1952

 Klevin (1952) reported uranium air dust concentrations during operations 

at Joslyn

– 9 sample sheets are dated January 8, 16, and 18: uranium processed during 3 days

 On January 23, Malone (1952) requested shipment of three rods to Joslyn

– Assume rods machined after that date, for one more day of machining in 1952

 Dunlap (1952) reported planned experiments on fuel rods of three sizes 

that required:

– Medart straightening followed by CLG at Joslyn

– Drawing to smaller diameter, more Medart straightening, CLG (presumably at Joslyn)

– Medart straightening, cutting, and deburring

– Processed at Joslyn on 3 separate days

 SC&A assigned 3 additional days of machining, for a total of 7 days of 

machining in 1952
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Table 4. SC&A and NIOSH uranium workdays 

Year Total

workdays

SC&A

machining (a)

SC&A 

rolling

SC&A 

inactive

NIOSH

machining (a)

NIOSH 

rolling

NIOSH 

inactive

1943 214 32 182 18 190

1944 252 201 51 43 207

1945 250 63 187 54 196

1946 250 86 164 33 217

1947 250 6 244 12 238

Jan–Jul 1948 146 110 36 75 71

Aug–Dec 1948 104 1 103 0 10 94

1949 250 7 2 241 0 2 248

1950 250 10 6 234 3 8 239

1951 250 2 248 1 1 248

1952 250 7 243 1 3 246

(a) Sum of machining and rolling days during SEC period (March 1, 1943–July 31, 1948)
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Questions?
20

References

Atomic Energy Commission (U.S.) (AEC). (1951). Air dust survey sample sheets. SRDB Ref. ID 

011036, PDF p. 23

Bassett, L. G., & Belmore, F. M. (1945, May 31). Monthly report for M-Production and Research 

Sections [Memorandum to files]. SRDB Ref. ID 031145, PDF p. 178 ff.

Beeler, G. W. (1947, January 14). Costs of oxide and uranium metal sold to Great Britain [United 

States Atomic Energy Commission memorandum]. SRDB Ref. ID 090948

Belmore, F. M. (1950, June 23). Rolling and machining of special uranium rods [Letter to A. J. 

Blaeser]. SRDB Ref. ID 009663, PDF p. 2

Chipman, J. (1943, March 15). Memorandum on rolling of tubealloy. Metallurgical Laboratory. SRDB 

Ref. ID 082362

Chipman, J., & Greninger, A. B. (1943, July 5). Hot rolling of Metal at Joslyn Mfg. and Supply 

Company, Forth Wayne, June 29, 1943 (Chipman, Greninger, Simmons & Van Echo). SRDB Ref. ID 

011036, PDF p. 42 ff.

Contract AT-30-1-GEN 281. (1948). SRDB Ref. ID 011036, PDF p. 185 ff.
21

References 2

DeBIois, L. A., Jr. (1946). Monthly material balance summary—Parts 1 and 2—August 1946

[Memorandum to files]. SRDB Ref. ID 031576

Dunlap, G. E. (1952, July 16). Drawing of enriched uranium for CVA reactor [Memorandum to files]. 

SRDB Ref. ID 091923

E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company, Incorporated (duPont). (1945). The metal fabrication program 

for the Clinton Engineer Works and the Hanford Engineer Works. SRDB Ref. ID 033190

Fuqua, P. A. (1944, May 30). Inspection of Joslyn Mfg. & Supply Co., Fort Wayne, Indiana

[Memorandum to S. T. Cantril]. SRDB Ref. ID 005890, PDF pp. 3–4

Garrow, G. C. (1959). The behaviour of Batch 3 rods in the NRX reactor (IOI-173). SRDB Ref. ID 

116843

Greninger, A. B., & Van Echo, A. (1943a). Surface finishing of extruded tubealloy bars. SRDB Ref. ID 

011036, PDF p. 80

Greninger, A. B., & Van Echo, A. (1943b). Experimental centerless grinding of 14 extruded rods at 

Joslyn Manufacturing Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana. SRDB Ref. ID 011036, PDF p. 85
22

References 3

Hanford Works monthly report for July 1951. (1951). (HW 21802-DEL). SRDB Ref. ID 036889

King, R. P. (1945, July 28). Metal fabrication: Pre-Hanford experience with extrusion and rolling

[Memorandum to files]. SRDB Ref. ID 034028, PDF p. 38 ff.

Klevin, P. B. (1952). Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Company: Occupational exposure to radioactive 

dust (JOSLYN-1). SRDB Ref. ID 9664

Koenig, J. J. (1945, February 3). Monthly report on metal production covering the period from 14 

December 1944 to 25 January 1945 [Memorandum to files]. SRDB Ref. ID 031145, PDF p. 237

Macherey, R. (1948). Letter to Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Company (August 2, 1948). SRDB Ref. 

ID 011036, PDF p. 98

Malone, F. N. (1952, January 23). Uranium rod, requisition NAA-SF-11 [Memorandum to R.J. Smit]. 

SRDB Ref. ID 011036, PDF p. 232

Simmons, J. M. (1944a, January 26). Centerless grinding and experimental work on tuballoy at Joslyn 

Manufacturing & Supply Company, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, January 3–14, 1944 [Memorandum to A. B. 

Greninger]. SRDB Ref. ID 011036, PDF p. 53 ff.
23

References 4

Simmons, J. M. (1944b, June 12). Experimental rolling and grinding at Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply 

Co., Ft. Wayne, Indiana, June 1–5, 1944 [Memorandum to A. B. Greninger]. SRDB Ref. ID 017594

Simmons, J. M. (1944c, July 5). Experimental rolling and grinding at Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply 

Co., Ft. Wayne, Indiana, June 19–20, 1944 [Memorandum to A. B. Greninger]. SRDB Ref. ID 118502

Smith, E. A. (1947). Uranium rolling at Ft. Wayne, Ind. – August 5–6, 1947. SRDB Ref. ID 016511

Stroke, F. G. (1950, August 23). NRC rolling at Joslyn Manufacturing Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana

[Memorandum to files]. SRDB Ref. ID 120484