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1st of a kind: WMDS Etc...

by Richard Duda

183 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #06-1901; ISBN 1-4251-0144-5; US$21.00, C$24.15, EUR17.25, £12.08

Brief history of the unique architect/engineering firm that designed all the U.S. first WMD plans for enriched uranium, plutonium, lithium 6, nerve gas, biological warfare laboratories and the young engineers who managed these programs.

This book addresses how and why the U.S. committed to Weapons of Mass Destruction: atomic bobs, nerve gas and biological warfare agents. It is about the single engineering company that designed and built all the first-of-a-kind WMD plants. Is it also about a small group of talented engineering graduates in 1942-1948 that were key personnel involved with the author in the unique designs of these plants.

Kellex/Vitro was a prime example of a very large architect/engineering firm with roots in the technically challenging petroleum fefinery field. It completed the K-25 Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion plant for the first atomic bomb and using this developed new nuclear technology was awarded the design and contruction management for a plutonium production plant (Redox) at the new atomic Hanford site Immediately after design completeion a new national need arose for uranium to fuel the Hanford production reactors. This project and two more major programs for nerve gas and lithium 6 (tritium precursor) kept Kellex very busy in the early 1950's. (Kellex was acquired by a business group in late 1949 and renamed Vitro). Also, in this period, a contract for a biological research laboratory on Plum Island, was started in 1952; thus Kellex/Vitro became sole designer for America's first Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) plants.

The many anchillary events that impacted the designs are discuessed with the technologies of each process described in a manner understandable to non-technically trained readers.

Other first-of-a-kind projects are described such as a major nuclear aircraft research centre, a titanium plant, nuclear irradiators, research reactors and "hot" laboratories. Foreign activities included the Indian Heavy Water/Fertilizer plant and nuclear reprocessing facilities for Italy, Sweded, India and Japan.

The final chapter deals with the late 70's anti-nuclear debate and the coming replay of those days, soon to be joined since nucelar power is again part of America's energy plan.

Richard F. Duda (Dick), P.E., NY, a graduate Chemical Engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) retired twice from a 45 year career as Corporate Vice President, Principal Project Manger and Project Engineer with Kellex/Vitro, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Co. (NUMEC), Westinghouse and the Ralph M. Parsons Co. (Parsons Corp.)

As a Project Engineer and then Project Manager he was directly involved with project duties for four domestic reprocessing plants for plutonium and similar plants for Sweden, Italy and India.

He was the Project Engineer for the first nerve gas plant and for a titanium production plant and later for a heavy water / fertilizer plant for India. He finished his career as a Parsons Vice President responsible for major environmental cleanup designs of the Fernald, Ohio nuclear site.

His family and career ancillary data may be found in the 2006 Marquis Who’s Who in America.

Excerpts

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