Versatile composite radiation shield
OwnerKenneth H. Dufrane, Kevin R. Kingsleyinventors
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Abstract
A composite radiation shield which provides physical and economic benefits for the shielding of radiation especially in containers for transporting radioactive material. The composite radiation shield contains rods of a high density material such as depleted uranium or tungsten. The spaces between the rods may contain smaller rods and are also backfilled with lead or other preferably high density material with a melting point lower than the material of the rods. The rod diameters and arrangement can be easily customized to accommodate any radiation shield configuration needed.
Claims32
A radiation shield comprising:
- a plurality of closely packed longitudinal substantially solid rods having large ratios of major dimension, said rods being composed of a first material predominantly including depleted uranium, and a second material interposed in any space remaining between said rods and substantially filling such space, said first material having a substantially higher melting point than said second material.
A container for containment of radioactive material, said container comprising:
- an inner steel wall and an outer steel wall spaced away from said inner steel wall, and
- a radiation shield interposed between said inner steel wall and said outer steel wall, said shield including a plurality of closely packed longitudinal substantially solid rods having large ratios of major dimension to minor dimension, said rods being composed of a first material predominantly including depleted uranium, and a second material interposed in any space remaining between said rods and substantially filling said space, said first material having a higher melting point than said second material.
A composite for shielding against radiation, said composite made by the process of:
- packing closely a plurality of longitudinal rods having large ratios of major dimension to minor dimension, said rods composed of a first material predominantly including depleted uranium;
- and
- pouring a second material having a high density and a lower melting temperature than said first material in any interstitial spaces between said closely packed rods.
A method for making a shield for radioactivity comprising the steps of:
- packing closely a plurality of longitudinal rods having large ratios of major dimension to minor dimension, said rods composed of a first material predominantly including depleted uranium;
- and
- pouring a second material having a high density and a lower melting temperature than said first material in any interstitial spaces between said closely packed rods.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.