Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum

Title: Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum

Abstract

A method of sealing a low enriched uranium (LEU) foil in a vacuum is provided. The LEU foil is inserted into a stainless steel foil pouch. Sealing components are assembled with the stainless steel foil pouch with a vacuum pump connection extending through an opening in the pouch. Then an open end of the pouch is folded over and welded to form a vacuum tight bond. A vacuum pump is attached to the connection outside the pouch and the stainless steel foil pouch is evacuated. Then the stainless steel foil pouch is folded and welded to seal the LEU foil within a welded pouch portion. The remaining pouch portion including the vacuum sealing components is cut and separated from the welded pouch portion containing the LEU foil. The method uses on inexpensive readily available equipment, eliminating the need for electron beam welding equipment.

Inventors:: Wiencek, Thomas C.

Issue Date:: 2008-04-01

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1531550

Patent Number(s):: 7350280

Application Number:: 11/585,595

Assignee:: UChicago Argonne, LLC (Chicago, IL)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05H - PLASMA TECHNIQUE

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

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H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05H - PLASMA TECHNIQUE
H05H6/00 - Targets for producing nuclear reactions

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
Y10T29/49826 - Assembling or joining
Y10T29/49915 - Overedge assembling of seated part
Y10T29/49968 - Metal fusion joining

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21G - CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
G21G1/06 - by neutron irradiation

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21F - PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT
G21F1/125 - {comprising metals}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
Y10T29/301 - Method
Y10T29/49947 - by applying separate fastener

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DOE Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; W-31-109-ENG-38

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2006-10-24

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats


                    Wiencek, Thomas C. Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum.  United States: N. p., 2008. 
        Web.

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                    Wiencek, Thomas C. Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum.  United States.

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                    Wiencek, Thomas C. Tue .  
        "Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1531550.

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@article{osti_1531550,

  title        = {Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum},

  author       = {Wiencek, Thomas C.},

  abstractNote = {A method of sealing a low enriched uranium (LEU) foil in a vacuum is provided. The LEU foil is inserted into a stainless steel foil pouch. Sealing components are assembled with the stainless steel foil pouch with a vacuum pump connection extending through an opening in the pouch. Then an open end of the pouch is folded over and welded to form a vacuum tight bond. A vacuum pump is attached to the connection outside the pouch and the stainless steel foil pouch is evacuated. Then the stainless steel foil pouch is folded and welded to seal the LEU foil within a welded pouch portion. The remaining pouch portion including the vacuum sealing components is cut and separated from the welded pouch portion containing the LEU foil. The method uses on inexpensive readily available equipment, eliminating the need for electron beam welding equipment.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2008},

  month        = {4}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Bagging methods
patent, November 1977

Greffe, Maurice F.
US Patent Document 4,057,949
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=4057949

Method for fabricating .sup.99 Mo production targets using low enriched uranium, .sup.99 Mo production targets comprising low enriched uranium
patent, December 2000

Wiencek, Thomas C.; Matos, James E.; Hofman, Gerard L.
US Patent Document 6,160,862
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6160862

Method of making a container for storing fine particles
patent, April 2002

Archibald, William E.; Gwiazdon, Rodney K.; Tuszkiewicz, George A.
US Patent Document 6,378,272
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6378272

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Title: Method to seal reactive materials under vacuum

Abstract

Citation Formats

Bagging methods patent, November 1977

Method for fabricating .sup.99 Mo production targets using low enriched uranium, .sup.99 Mo production targets comprising low enriched uranium patent, December 2000

Method of making a container for storing fine particles patent, April 2002

Bagging methods
patent, November 1977

Method for fabricating .sup.99 Mo production targets using low enriched uranium, .sup.99 Mo production targets comprising low enriched uranium
patent, December 2000

Method of making a container for storing fine particles
patent, April 2002