Burnable neutron absorbers

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5918599

Radford, K C; Carlson, W C

This patent describes a method of making an annular neutron-absorber body for use as a burnable poison in a nuclear reactor, the body being porous and having substantially uniform density, the radial thickness of the body being small and substantially uniform, throughout its length. The method consists of: (a) mixing a first powder with a second powder, the first powder selected from one or more of the class consisting of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide, the second powder being a neutron absorber and being selected from one or more of the class of elements consisting of boron, gadolinium, samarium, cadmium, europium, hafnium, dysprosium and indium or their compounds; (b) milling and grinding the mixture in a liquid to produce a slurry in which the powders are homogenized and coarse agglomerates are eliminated, the slurry including water, and small but effective quantities of a wetting agent (c) drying the slurry to produce a dry mass of the mixture of the first and second powders; (d) adding to the mass of powders means capable of adding strength to a green body to be formed of the mass of powders; (e) depositing the mass of powders into a mold in which the mass may be subjected to isostatic pressure; (f) subjecting the mass of powders in the mold to isostatic pressure to form a green body having the form of an annular neutron-absorber body; and (g) heating the green body at a temperature such as to drive off the strength-adding means and to sinter the green body to form the neutron-absorber body.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4826630
• OSTI ID: 5918599
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
BORON
BURNABLE POISONS
CADMIUM
CHALCOGENIDES
COMMINUTION
CONTROL
DYSPROSIUM
ELEMENTS
EUROPIUM
FABRICATION
FLUID POISON CONTROL
GADOLINIUM
HAFNIUM
MATERIALS
METALS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWDERS
POWER REACTORS
RARE EARTHS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAMARIUM
SEMIMETALS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES