Abstract:
Spent fuel rods from a nuclear reactor are enclosed in a body of copper, the fuel rods being embedded in copper powder in a copper container provided with a copper lid. The container with its contents and lid are then subjected to isostatic compression at a pressure and temperature sufficient to form a coherent dense mass unit of the powder, the container and the lid which embeds the fuel rods. The container can be enclosed in a sealed gas-tight capsule prior to the isostatic compression. A preliminary isostatic compression may be conducted at a lower temperature to effect creep deformation of the container, the lid and the powder.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing an object of silicon nitride by isostatic pressing of a preformed body of silicon nitride powder utilizing a pressure medium at a temperature sufficiently high to sinter the silicon nitride. The preformed body is subjected to a degassing operation before isostatic pressing. An inner porous layer of a first material and then an outer porous layer of a second material are applied on the preformed powder body. The inner porous layer is transformable, at a temperature below the sintering temperature for silicon nitride, into a pressure medium impermeable layer. The outer porous layer is also transformable into a pressure medium impermeable layer, but at a temperature which is lower than the temperature when the inner porous layer is converted into its pressure medium impermeable form. Thus, the preformed body is first subjected to a degassing and to a heating to the temperature for transforming the outer porous layer into a pressure medium impermeable layer while the inner porous layer is maintained in a porous form. Thereafter the preformed body and the surrounding layers are heated further to the temperature for converting the inner porous layer into its pressure medium impermeable form while a pressure greater than the gas pressure inside the layers is maintained on the outside of the layers. The isostatic pressing of the preformed object is then carried out.
Abstract:
A method of containing spent nuclear fuel or high-level nuclear fuel waste in a resistant material for isolating the fuel or the waste from the environment, includes the provision of an open container and a cover fitting the container opening, with both the container and cover being made of a ceramic material which is given a high density by isostatic hot pressing. The nuclear fuel or the waste is placed in the container, the cover is placed over the opening of the container, and the container with the cover is contained in a gas-tight casing, whereupon the opened container and the cover are joined by isostatic hot pressing into a homogeneous monolithic body within a completely closed space.
Abstract:
Disclosed is an elongated cylindrical furnace that includes a housing which defines an internal pressure chamber. An annular heater is disposed in the chamber in surrounding relationship to a centrally disposed material treatment space and an insulation layer is disposed in surrounding relationship to the heater. An annular gas impermeable wall is disposed in the chamber between the heater and the treatment space to isolate the latter from the space outside the wall where the heater is located. The outer heater space and the inner material treatment space are each provided with a respective source of pressurized gas for pressurization of the furnace to operating pressure. Thus, the amount of pressurized gas in contact with the material undergoing treatment is minimized and limited by the volume of the inner space and contact between gas from the inner space which may have become contaminated by contact with the material undergoing treatment and hard to clean furnace components in the outer space is limited by the presence of the wall. Also disclosed are various means for controlling the relative gas pressures in the inner and outer spaces.
Abstract:
In a press for hydrostatic extrusion which has a prestressed outer supporting member and an inner tube or liner, the end surfaces of the inner tube are inwardly inclined towards its center with an inclination of at least 1:20, and the seal holders which take up forces operating on the seals have inclined end surfaces which make contact with the inclined end surface of the inner tube. The sealing arrangement includes a first sealing ring with a cylindrical inner surface which contacts the punch and the die respectively, and an end surface making contact with the support ring, and a second sealing ring with an outer cylindrical sealing surface which makes contact with the inner tube and an inclined end surface which makes contact with the inclined end surface of the support ring.
Abstract:
An object is manufactured of a powdered material by isostatic pressing of a body (10), preformed from the powdered material, whereby the preformed body is surrounded by a casing (16) which at least for the main part is transferred to molten phase, before the isostatic pressing is carried out while sintering the powder. As material in the casing there is used glass or a material forming glass when being heated and containing 48-52 percent by weight B.sub.2 O.sub.3, 46-50 percent by weight SiO.sub.2 and 1.5-2.5 percent by weight Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. It can be removed from the finished object by water or water vapor and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion at temperatures below the melting temperature of the glass. To counteract the penetration of molten glass from the casing into the preformed body, a barrier layer (18) may be arranged on the preformed body inside the casing. (FIG. 3)
Abstract:
When manufacturing an object of powdered material by isostatic pressing of a body (10), preformed from the powdered material, with a gaseous pressure medium, the preformed body is provided with a casing (19) of glass which is made gas-impermeable by heating before carrying out the isostatic pressing. Inside the glass casing there is arranged on the preformed body a barrier layer (11) which counteracts the penetration of melted glass from the enclosure in the preformed body. The barrier layer is built up of at least two layers, of which one layer (12) at least substantially consists of powdered boron nitride and one layer (13) of a mixture of powdered boron nitride and a powdered material with the ability, upon contact with glass from the casing in melted form, to make a layer containing boron nitride tighter.
Abstract:
In the manufacture of an article of ceramic material, for example a bladed turbine wheel of silicon nitride, there is first formed a plurality of article parts, at least one of which is a shaped powder body formed from powder of ceramic material mixed with a plasticizer, after which the plasticizer is driven off by a suitable heating operation. The article parts are then assembled together into a configuration conforming to that of the article to be manufactured, and the assembled article parts are surrounded with a gas-impermeable layer, for example a layer of glass. Finally, the assembled parts are isostatically pressed at elevated temperature to form the assembled article parts into a dense, homogeneous article.
Abstract:
A shaped body is formed by cold-pressing a powdered material into a desired shape and then providing thereon a surface layer of a material having a lower melting point than the powder of the shaped body. The shaped body is then placed in a furnace connectable to vacuum equipment, wherein the pressure is first lowered to a value lower than atmospheric pressure and then the temperature is increased so that the material of the surface layer melts. Thereafter the body is isostatically hot-pressed under the direct influence of an inert, gaseous pressure medium, the powder particles being thus bound together to high density by pressure sintering.
Abstract:
In the hydrostatic extrusion of tubes in a press which has a pressure chamber containing a high pressure cylinder, a pressure generating portion insertable into the cylinder, a die arranged in the cylinder and a mandrel axially fixed in relation to the die and composed of a carrier portion and a tip, and in which the tip forms with the opening in the die a gap in which a tubular billet is shaped into a tube by hydrostatic extrusion, in connection with the insertion of the tubular billet, a seal is produced initially between the mandrel and the hole in the billet at a point between the front part of the mandrel carrier and the hollow wall of the billet. This may be done by producing a constriction of the front end of the hole in the billet before the mandrel is inserted therein or by upsetting the billet against the die.