摘要:
A process for producing a diamond compact having a compressive strength of at least 10 kbars, the process being performed in the graphite stability field at a maximum pressure of 40 kbars at a temperature of between 1100.degree. C. and 1600.degree. C. for a time which permits plastic deformation of the diamond crystals giving face-to-face contacts there-between and a substantial or complete degree of chemical equilibration between the bonding agent and the diamond crystals. Bonding agents are selected from elements and alloys which produce a bond with diamond having a melting point above 1600.degree. C. and which inhibit the formation of free graphite in the compact.
摘要:
Particulate material is poured into a container which is decay and heat resistant, the container is sealed and subjected to axial compression at elevated temperature to cause densification of the material, there being an arrangement for preventing substantial radially outward deformation of the container during compression. An important application is to immobilization of nuclear reactor waste in a synthetic rock structure formed during the high temperature compression step, and advantageously the containers are secured within an outer metal cannister for subsequent safe handling and disposal. An important embodiment includes a bellows container which advantageously is upwardly pressed into an inverted metal cannister restrained by an upper abutment, the bellows container becoming an interference fit within the metal cannister during the final portion of compression, but the bellows container wall itself being substantially sufficient to prevent gross outward deformation of the bellows container.
摘要:
Disclosed are two improved container alloys for radioactive nuclear waste. Radioactive nuclear waste can be contained over extended periods of time by encapsulating the waste materials in containers composed of these alloys and burying the containers underground in an impervious, stable rock formation.
摘要:
A process for immobilizing high level radioactive waste (HLW) calcine comprises the steps of:(1) mixing the HLW calcine with a mixture of oxides, the oxides in the mixture and the relative proportions thereof being selected so as to form a mixture which, when heated and then cooled, crystallizes to produce a mineral assemblage containing well-formed crystals capable of providing lattice sites in which elements of the HLW are securely bound, the crystals belonging to or possessing crystal structures closely related to crystals belonging to mineral classes which are resistant to leaching and alteration in appropriate geological environments and including crystals belonging to the titanate classes of minerals; and(2) heating and then cooling the mixture so as to cause crystallization of the mixture to a mineral assemblage having the elements of the HLW incorporated as solid solutions within the crystals thereof.A mineral assemblage having elements of HLW calcine incorporated within the crystals thereof is also disclosed.
摘要:
A process for producing a diamond compact comprised of diamond crystals bonded mainly by silicon carbide. The diamond crystals are intimately mixed with silicon in the proportions 97 to 65 percent by weight of diamond to 3 to 35 percent by weight of silicon. The thus-mixed diamond crystals and silicon are placed immediately adjacent to one or more bodies of silicon within a container and subjected to high pressure and temperature so as to cause melting of the premixed silicon and of the external silicon which infiltrates into the interstitial spaces between the diamond crystals to cause most of the silicon between the diamond crystals to react with diamond to produce silicon carbide. The elevated temperature is in the range 1,100.degree. to 18,000.degree. C., and the elevated pressure is in the range 10 to 40 kilobars. The resulting compact contains between 50 and 85 volume percent of diamond with a density of at least 3.35 g/cm.sup.3 and a compressive strength of at least 10 kilobars.
摘要:
Diamond compact composed of 60-95 volume % diamond crystals plastically deformed into a closely packed, rigid structure with contacts between the diamond crystals over extended mating surfaces arising from the plastic deformation. The diamond crystals are bonded together by an interstitial bonding material composed of a refractory carbide, such as silicon carbide, or a bonding material composed of a metal such as rhenium and a refractory carbide formed by reaction of a metallic bonding agent, such as tungsten, with carbon.
摘要:
A process for immobilizing high level waste (HLW) sludge containing aluminium and/or iron compounds which comprises the steps of:(1) mixing the sludge with a mixture of oxides, the oxides in said mixture and the relative proportions thereof being selected so as to form a mixture when heated at temperatures between 800.degree. and 1400.degree. C. crystallizes to produce a mineral assemblage containing (i) crystals capable of providing lattice sites in which the fission product and actinide elements of said HLW sludge are securely bound, and (ii) crystals of at least one inert phase containing excess aluminium and/or iron, said crystals belonging to or possessing crystal structures closely related to crystals belonging to mineral classes which are resistant to leaching and alteration in appropriate geologic environments; and(2) heating and then cooling said mixture under reducing conditions so as to cause crystallization of the mixture to a mineral assemblage having the fission product and actinide elements of said HLW sludge incorporated as solid solutions within the crystals thereof, and the excess aluminium and/or iron crystallized in at least one inert phase.A mineral assemblage containing immobilized HLW sludge containing aluminium and/or iron compounds incorporated within the crystals thereof is also disclosed.
摘要:
An abrasive compact comprising 40 to 90 volume percent of cubic boron nitride (CBN) crystals bonded by 60 to 10 volume percent of a bonding matrix comprised mainly of an intimate mixture of silicon nitride and metallic diboride MB.sub.2 where M represents metal atoms chosen from the group of titanium, zirconium and hafnium atoms. The compact may be produced by a method which comprises intimately mixing particulate CBN crystals with a bonding agent in the proportion 95 to 60 volume percent of CBN and 5 to 40 volume percent of bonding agent, the bonding agent containing the metal atoms in the atomic proportions Si.sub.30 M.sub.70 to Si.sub.85 M.sub.15, subjecting the mixture of CBN crystals and bonding agent to temperatures in the range 900.degree. to 1800.degree. C. and pressures in the range 5 to 70 Kilobars, and maintaining the temperature and pressure conditions for a period of at least about 30 seconds, sufficient to cause most of bonding agent to form the bonding matrix.
摘要:
A diamond compact comprised of more than 60 volume percent and less than 90 volume percent of diamond crystals connected by a silicon carbide bond. The bond contains more than 500 parts per million of nitrogen and/or phosphorus and the compact possesses a low electrical resistivity of less than 0.2 ohm cm. The compact may be produced by a process in which the diamond crystals are intimately mixed with a bonding agent comprising silicon and the mixture is subjected within a confining space to a high temperature and pressure within the graphite stability field to cause silicon in the bonding agent to react extensively with carbon in the diamond crystals to form the silicon carbide bond. To produce the low electrical resistivity, a material containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus is introduced into the confining space prior to application of the high temperature and pressure conditions. In a modified process, the mixed diamond crystals and bonding agent are placed immediately adjacent to one or more bodies of silicon within the confining space prior to application of the high pressure and temperature conditions. In this process, the nitrogen and/or phosphorus containing material may be mixed with the diamond crystals and bonding agent and/or with one of the additional bodies of silicon prior to application of the high temperature and pressure conditions.
摘要:
A compressible bellows type metal canister is used in a hot pressing process for immobilizing high level radioactive nuclear waste material in the form of synthetic rock, the canister comprises a base wall and a corrugated bellows side wall of generally circular cross-section, concentrically arranged within the corrugated side wall is a cylindrical liner. In the center of the base wall a conically-tapered aperture is provided with a filter plug. Diametrically opposed apertures are provided in the base wall and are connected by an outlet pipe for removal of waste gases.