GC(12)/INF/101/Rev.1
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International Atomic Energy Agency PROGRESS IN PEACEFUL APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY DURING THE YEAR 1967/68 Statements by Member States GC(XII)/INF/101/Rev. 1 Printed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria - January 1969 PROGRESS IN PEACEFUL APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY DURING THE YEAR 1967/68 Statements by Member States This booklet contains the 30 statements on the progress made during the year 1967-68 in peaceful applications of nuclear energy which Governments of Member States had communicated to the Director General by the end of November 19681). Statement by Page AUSTRIA 5 BELGIUM 7 BRAZIL 9 CANADA 10 CEYLON 12 CHILE 13 COLOMBIA 16 CONGO, Democratic Republic of the 19 CYPRUS 20 GERMANY, Federal Republic of 20 GREECE 23 INDIA 25 IRAQ 26 ITALY 30 JAMAICA 31 JAPAN 32 LEBANON 35 MADAGASCAR 35 MOROCCO 37 NEW ZEALAND 40 PAKISTAN 42 PHILIPPINES 44 SAUDI ARABIA 46 SOUTH AFRICA 46 SPAIN 48 SWEDEN 50 SWITZERLAND 51 UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND 5 3 VIET-NAM 56 YUGOSLAVIA 57 1) The Government of the Netherlands has informed the Director General that it would propose to communicate a statement next year in respect of the period 1968/69. PROGRESS IN PEACEFUL APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY DURING THE YEAR 1967/68 5 1. AUSTRIA The Reactor Centre at Seibersdorf in 1967 1. As in previous years, some 30 million Austrian This guarantees that interested foreign parties that schillings were available in 1967 for the purpose of have a large sphere of influence may become active modernizing and supplementing the scientific facili in Austria only if an agreement can be reached, as ties of the Austrian Research and Reactor Centre well as a co-operation and sharing of work accept at Seibersdorf. The total of investments has thus able to Austrian industry. The number of patents reached the 300 million schilling level. This remark granted is telling evidence of the fact that the long- able amount, however, is still only a small part of range and methodical help which Austrian industry what has so far been made available, for instance, in has given to SGAE is now beginning to bear fruit, Switzerland or Sweden. By restricting activities to to be harvested by the member organizations of a few vital research tasks it was possible to achieve SGAE as well as by industry as a whole. results that come up to the international standard, though the running costs did not exceed those of 5. Due to the fact that SGAE holds such a re the previous year. markable number of domestic patents, it has been possible to create a basis for obtaining the right to 2. What is often considered a remarkable success use the techniques and patents of other countries is the combination of basic and applied research as by way of exchange. In the following paragraphs it is being carried out at Seibersdorf. One hundred a few examples are given of the utilization of and two of the most outstanding students of Austrian domestic patents and other "know-how". universities majoring in the fields of technology and science use the facilities at the Centre for work on their diplomas and Doctor of Philosophy theses. 6. The Centre's Institute of Electronics has de On the other hand, income from contract research — veloped new amplifiers and single-channel discrimi in particular from isotope application in industry — nators. Since no Austrian enterprise seemed to be amounted to over eight million Austrian schillings interested in producing these devices, licence contracts in the past year. for three types were concluded with a German firm in Munich. Further licences are about to be granted. 3. The quality of a research organization may be The German firm plans to manufacture a complete judged by two yardsticks. The first is the number range of nuclear measuring devices following the and the value of its publications. So far the scientists Seibersdorf prototypes. Generally, the Centre offers of the Centre have published the notable total of the total "know-how" and a prototype device with 899 papers, mainly in German, English and French. all the diagrams and lists of components, and the Nearly all of these have appeared in well-known licensee pays a non-recurring sum as well as a licence scientific books or journals. The second yardstick fee of about 3-5% of the selling price for all devices is the volume of research for which payment has sold. The licensee usually assumes a liability to been duly made. The patent and licence situation, sell a certain minimum number of devices each year. too, may give a hint as to the research and develop ment activities. It is to be noted in this connection 7. The Institute of Health Physics and the Institute that the utilization of patents and licences is specifical of Chemistry have joined forces with the result that ly provided for in the charter of the Osterreichische Austrian patent number 257.858 entitled "Procedure Studiengesellschaft fur Atomenergie Ges.m.b.H. for the Manufacture of an Argentiferous Glass which (SGAE), which operates the Centre. is Sensitive to both Radioactive Radiation and X-rays" has been granted. This invention will replace the 4. We have now reached the stage of utilizing film dosimeters used so far. In this matter results from research. By now SGAE holds a total negotiations with an Austrian firm concerning the of 112 Austrian patents in force, mainly in the fields acquisition of the patent and the manufacture of the of isotope application and power reactors, and phosphate glass dosimeter are near completion. Re 67 applications are pending. Furthermore, 5 9 patents garding the production of a read-out device belonging have been awarded in foreign countries and 70 are to it, which is also protected by patent, there have pending, mainly in the United States of America, been negotiations with four Austrian and two German the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern firms which have finally culminated in a preliminary Ireland, the Federal Republic of Germany and France. contract. This example illustrates clearly that new 6 AUSTRIA and economically interesting achievements can be national recognition. Co-operating initially with the produced by employing eyen small funds, as long Agency, SGAE designed the irradiation unit which as good ideas are forthcoming. was finally built by an Austrian firm. Copies of this unit have in the meantime been built for India, the 8. The frequently cited Compton spectrometer Philippines, Thailand and the United States. There is the patent that is the most interesting scientifically are also orders from Bulgaria and China. and internationally speaking. In the economic field, too, it is likely to achieve a full success. The 12. Of equal importance are the Institute of apparatus was recently tested with power reactor fuel Chemistry and the Institute of Metallurgy which have at Windscale, England, and has proved very efficient. made great achievements in the development of new The device was also on exhibit in the Austrian nuclear fuels since the very start-up of the Centre. Pavilion at the World Fair in Montreal. Originally participants in the international Dragon High-Temperature Reactor Project, these Institutes 9. Utilization of the "know-how" isalsoguaranteed now co-operate mainly with the Federal Republic in the case of the Seibersdorf mass separator, since of Germany and the United Kingdom. Four Austrian an American firm has submitted a letter of intent patents, and nine patent applications which are at with a view to a purchase order. The production the publishing stage, have brought us the Dragon, of two such devices at a total cost amounting to the German and the American orders. The resulting 15 million Austrian schillings is under discussion. research contracts have led to further applications The final placing of the order, however, is connected for patents; these will, however, belong to the with guarantees which have yet to be discussed. In authorities awarding the contracts, though in all case of the actual utilization of these products, cases SGAE will hold the full rights for Austria. several member organizations of SGAE would take By the end of 1967 the two Institutes had received part. almost 20 million Austrian schillings as income from successful research work. 10. The Industrial Advice and Isotope Application Section is making steady headway. In one way or another this Section of the Centre has been of some 13. In the field of isotope production the Institute help to almost every one of the 53 industrial member of Chemistry holds two patents, one of which covers organizations. This rather small Section has obtained an important procedure for the manufacture of five Austrian and nine foreign patents. Even beyond iodine-131 from telluric acid. In Austria this isotope the Austrian border the examination of rim lubri is often used for medical as well as industrial pur cation of the wheels of train coaches with the help poses. Research results from the Institute may be of radioactive gold has found recognition. The Agency vital for future activities of the Austrian wood and has found this application of considerable interest, synthetics industries, since it is now possible to and many European railway companies have intro produce technically interesting combinations of wood duced the technique, benefiting from Austrian ex and synthetics. perience of its use. 14. The Institute of Reactor Technology has, in 11. The ASTRA-Reactor Institute has been able the short period of its existence, followed a to exploit several developments internationally. particularly industry-minded line of development. These include in particular a high-temperature irradi Two major projects in co-operation with a member ation capsule developed for testing coated particle organization involving expenditures of several million reactor fuel.