Patent US4522744A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4522744A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Burnable neutron absorbers
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1982-09-10
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Granted: 1985-06-11
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Expires: 2002-09-10
Abstract
Abstract Method of making a burnable neutron absorber of boron carbide in a matrix of aluminum oxide. In the practice of this method, boron-carbide particles are coated with a pore former and then they are mixed in a slurry with aluminum oxide powder. When the slurry is subsequently dried and sintered, the pore former is burned out and a body is formed including the boron-carbide particles in a matrix of aluminum oxide with substantially all boron-carbide particles in the body surrounded by a void.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce M. Argall
- 👤 Peter J. Kuchirka
- 👤 Kenneth C. Radford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:09
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C21/00; G21C21/18; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
The method of making a burnable neutron absorber body for a nuclear reactor which comprises: (a) coating boron-compound particles with a pore former; (b) separately producing a slurry of matrix powder in a liquid; (c) mixing the boron-compound particles coated with pore former in said slurry to produce a slurry of the boron-compound particles coated with pore former and the matrix powder; (d) adding a binder to said last-named slurry to produce a resulting slurry, said pore former being insoluble in the binder system formed of the resulting slurry; (e) spray drying the resulting slurry thus produced to obtain a free-flowing mixture of coated boron-compound particles and matrix powder; (f) forming a green body of said mixture; and (g) sintering said green body and burning out the pore former to form a sintered body of the boron compound in a matrix with substantially all boron-compound particles in a void so as to accommodate expansion of the boron-compound particles during subsequent irradiation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
161 words
The method of making a burnable neutron absorber body for a nuclear reactor which comprises: (a) coating boron-compound particles with a pore former; (b) separately producing a slurry of matrix powder in a liquid; (c) mixing the boron-compound particles coated with pore former in said slurry to produce a slurry of the boron-compound particles coated with pore former and the matrix powder; (d) adding a binder to said last-named slurry to produce a resulting slurry, said pore former being insoluble in the binder system formed of the resulting slurry; (e) spray drying the resulting slurry thus produced to obtain a free-flowing mixture of coated boron-compound particles and matrix powder; (f) forming a green body of said mixture; and (g) sintering said green body and burning out the pore former to form a sintered body of the boron compound in a matrix with substantially all boron-compound particles in a void so as to accommodate expansion of the boron-compound particles during subsequent irradiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the boron compound is one or more of the class consisting of boron carbide (B 4 C) and zirconium boride (ZrB 2 ).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix powder is composed of one or more of the class consisting of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) or zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the coated boron-compound particles are formed by mixing boron-compound particles in a pore-former solution and thereafter drying the solution.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the pore-former solution is dried during the mixing therein of the boron compound.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-06-10 | 1988-12-10 | 1989-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-06-10 | 1992-12-10 | 1993-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-06-10 | 1996-12-10 | 1997-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |