US4560575A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for coating a nuclear fuel with boron nitride
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1983-12-21
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Granted: 1985-12-24
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Expires: 2003-12-21
Abstract
Abstract A method of applying a burnable absorber coating on a nuclear fuel pellet comprising the step of exposing the nuclear fuel pellet to a gas stream of boron trichloride and anhydrous ammonia at a temperature of from about 600°-800° C. A coating of boron nitride is formed as a reaction product of boron trichloride with anhydrous ammonia on the fuel pellet.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry R. Eisenstatt
- 👤 Kenneth C. Radford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:22
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C3/00; G21C3/42; G21C3/58; G21C3/62; G21C3/626; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/34; C23C16/342; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel comprising uranium dioxide comprising the step of exposing said nuclear fuel in a reaction chamber to a gas stream of boron trichloride and anhydrous ammonia at a temperature of from about 600°-800° C. whereby a coating of boron nitride is formed as a reaction product on said fuel.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel comprising uranium dioxide comprising the step of exposing said nuclear fuel in a reaction chamber to a gas stream of boron trichloride and anhydrous ammonia at a temperature of from about 600°-800° C. whereby a coating of boron nitride is formed as a reaction product on said fuel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said boron trichloride (BCL 3 ) is formed of a B 10 isotope.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) is formed of a mixture of B 10 and B 11 isotopes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 2 wherein the temperature of vapor deposition is substantially equal to 600° C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said boron trichloride is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of about 2 to about 5 cm 3 /min and said ammonia is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of about 10 to about 25 cm 3 /min.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel pellet as defined in claim 1 wherein said vapor deposition is carried out in the presence of a carrier gas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 6 wherein said carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, helium, argon, neon, xenon, krypton, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 8 wherein said nuclear fuel is in the form of a pellet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said nuclear fuel is loaded in graphite boats and exposed to said gas stream in said reaction chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said nuclear fuel is suspended in said reaction chamber and exposed to said gas stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas stream is comprised of said boron trichloride and said anhydrous ammonia in a 1:1 ratio.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of applying a burnable absorber coating on nuclear fuel as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas stream is said boron trichloride and said anhydrous ammonia in a 1:5 ratio.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-12-23 | 1989-06-24 | 1989-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-12-23 | 1993-06-24 | 1993-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-12-23 | 1997-06-24 | 1997-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |