1st of a kind

About the Book

This book addresses how and why the U.S. committed to Weapons of Mass Destruction: atomic bombs, 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 refinery 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 completion 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 ancillary events that impacted the designs are discussed 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 center, 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, Sweden, 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 nuclear power is again part of America's energy plan.

About the Author

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.