Technical Ceramics Laboratories, Inc.

The Carborundum Company

Kennecott Corporation

Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc.

Pdp Alloys, Inc.

Peter T Shaffer

Marvin C Lunde

William J Corbett

Rustum N Roy

Keith A Blakely

Michael F Gaffney

Norman H Macmillan

Zachary D Sheldon

A fiber-organic composition includes from about 5% to 50% by volume of uniformly dispersed, non-planar or three dimensionally random oriented inorganic fibers or whiskers, and a thermoplastic material such as paraffin wax. The composition also includes surfactants to promote wetting and dispersion of the inorganic fibers or whiskers. These materials are subjected to high shear mixing to form a uniform randomly oriented three-dimensional dispersion of the inorganic fibers or whiskers. After molding the mixture in such a manner so as not to disrupt the uniform, three-dimensional orientation of the fibers or whiskers, a majority of the thermoplastic material is removed leaving a shaped body or preform having sufficient strength for handling. The shaped body or preform can then be infiltrated with molten metal or the like to form a metal matrix composite.

Shaped bodies containing short inorganic fibers or whiskers and methods

Shaped bodies containing short inorganic fibers or whiskers within a

A neutron-absorbing material is formed by a process which includes the steps of: mixing an absorptive material having a high thermal neutron capture cross-section (e.g., B.sub.4 C), a neutron-moderating material (e.g., graphite) and a binder (e.g., a phenol formaldehyde resin); shaping such mixture; curing such shaped mixture (e.g., to complete polymerization of the resin and to have only a carbon residue); and siliconizing such shaped and cured mixture. The resulting product has been formed to be denser and stronger, and more oxidation- and abrasion-resistant than prior art compositions.

Neutron-absorbing material and method of making same

Metal products herein are essentially submicron alloy powders of Group VIII base and Group VIII noble metals having non-pyrophoric and magnetic properties. One such product is prepared with isomorphous compounds of nickel and palladium, in a quantitative weight ratio of at least 99% of the former and 1% or less of the latter. The palladium is homogenously dispersed in the product nickel structure sites. An aqueous chemical process involving spontaneous nucleation is employed in the manufacture of the alloy product. In preferred form, small concentrations of palladium and/or platinum ions are added to ionic nickel and/or cobalt solutions. The ratio of nickel and/or cobalt ions to palladium and/or platinum ions is critical. A hot solution of the metal ions of nickel and/or cobalt and palladium and/or platinum is mixed with hydrazine in a hot basic aqueous solution, and rapidly diluted with hot water. The precipitate formed is filtered, sequentially chemically washed and dried. The dried alloy product is a black, non-pyrophoric, magnetic powder. Examination by electron probe and X-ray diffraction shows the alloy product to be a solid solution of the constituent metals. Scanning electron microscopy and BET surface area measurement establishes that the ultimate particles are submicron.

Non-pyrophoric submicron alloy powders of Group VIII metals

Radioactive waste material, such as that resulting from radioactive weapons plant operation or from nuclear fuel reprocessing, in suitable form, such as radionuclide-containing oxide and/or oxyhydroxide and/or hydroxide particles, is held by a metal or metal 'alloy' to an electrically conductive cathodic material upon which the metal or alloy is electrodeposited. In this way the radionuclide species including strontium and/or cesium, which are biologically extremely hazardous, are incorporated into a metal matrix held to a base and may be disposed of, as by underground storage, in such form, which is considered to be more resistant to dissolution by ground water and to damage by mechanical stresses arising from tectonic activity than are glasses or ceramics incorporating radionuclides. In improvements of the process and of the resulting radionuclide-including article, the article is electrolytically or otherwise covered or coated with suitably corrosion resistant and mechanical damage resistant covering(s) or coating(s), as by continuing electrodeposition of the metal, sometimes after addition of more material, which is a source of the metal, to a suitable electrolyte, or after replacement of the electrolyte.

Conversion of radioactive wastes to stable form for disposal

A cask for radioactive material, such as nuclear reactor fuel or spent nuclear reactor fuel, includes a plurality of associated walled internal compartments for containing such radioactive material, with neutron absorbing material present to absorb neutrons emitted by the radioactive material, and a plurality of thermally conductive members, such as longitudinal copper or aluminum castings, about the compartment and in thermal contact with the compartment walls and with other such thermally conductive members and having thermal contact surfaces between such members extending, preferably radially, from the compartment walls to external surfaces of the thermally conductive members, which surfaces are preferably in the form of a cylinder. The ends of the shipping cask also preferably include a neutron absorber and a conductive metal covering to dissipate heat released by decay of the radioactive material. A preferred neutron absorber utilized is boron carbide, preferably as plasma sprayed with metal powder or as particles in a matrix of phenolic polymer, and the compartment walls are preferably of stainless steel, copper or other corrosion resistant and heat conductive metal or alloy. The invention also relates to shipping casks, storage casks and other containers for radioactive materials in which a plurality of internal compartments for such material, e.g., nuclear reactor fuel rods, are joined together, preferably in modular construction with surrounding heat conductive metal members, and the modules are joined together to form a major part of a finished shipping cask, which is preferably of cylindrical shape. Also within the invention are methods of safely storing radioactive materials which emit neutrons, while dissipating the heat thereof, and of manufacturing the present shipping casks.

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Grand Island, NY, United States of America

Peter T Shaffer