Radiation shielding composition

A radiation shielding concrete product comprising:

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate being formed by sintering at least one finely divided depleted uranium material to form a stabilized aggregate;
• and
• cement, said depleted uranium aggregate being admixed in said cement to form a concrete having a density of between about 4 and about 15 grams per cm.sup.3 and wherein said depleted uranium aggregate comprises a sintered material formed by reacting a finely divided material and reactive liquid produced by heating at least one member selected from the group consisting of clay, dirt and basalt.

A stable uranium aggregate capable of being used as a filler in a concrete shield for nuclear radiation comprising:

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate being formed by sintering at least one finely divided depleted uranium material to form a stabilized aggregate wherein the stability of said aggregate is such as to avoid degradation of said shield at the temperature of 250.degree. C. for a period of at least one month when in an environment which would be saturated with water vapor at room temperature.

A stable uranium aggregate capable of being used as a filler in a concrete nuclear radiation shield comprising a sintered finely divided uranium material and at least one phase derived from a reactive liquid.

A method of producing a sintered uranium material by a liquid phase sintering process comprising:

• (a) mixing together a finely divided uranium material and a sintering material selected from the group consisting of clay, dirt, and basalt;
• and
• (b) heating said mixture to a temperature between about 1000.degree. C. and 1500.degree. C., to thereby cause said sintering material to become at least partially fluid such that said sintering material and said uranium material cluster and form an aggregation.

A container for storage of radioactive materials comprising an enclosed storage space surrounded by at least one layer of radiation shielding concrete product, having a predetermined thickness, comprising

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate being formed by sintering at least one finely divided depleted uranium material to form a stabilized aggregate;
• and
• cement, said depleted uranium aggregate a being admixed in said cement to form a concrete having a density of between about 4 and about 15 grams per cm.sup.3 and which will, at said predetermined thickness, attenuate gamma rays from a radioactive material of projected gamma ray over a determined time period.

A radiation shielding concrete product having a compressive strength between about 500 and about 12,000 psi and a tensile strength between about 50 and about 1,200 psi, comprising

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate being formed by sintering at least one finely divided depleted uranium material to form a stabilized aggregate;
• and
• cement, said depleted uranium aggregate being admixed in said cement to form a concrete having a density of between about 5 and about 15 grams per cm.sup.3 and which will, at a predetermined thickness, attenuate gamma rays from a radioactive material of projected gamma ray over a determined time period, wherein the particle size of said uranium aggregate is about 1/8 inch and 4 inches in diameter and wherein said concrete product is in the form of a wall having a thickness of between about 2 inches and about 20 inches.

A container for storage of radioactive materials comprising an enclosed storage space surrounded by at least one layer of radiation shielding concrete product comprising

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate being formed by sintering at least one finely divided depleted uranium material to form a stabilized aggregate:
• and
• cement, said depleted uranium aggregate and neutron absorbing component being admixed in said cement to form a concrete having a density of between about 4 and about 15 grams per cm.sup.3, said concrete product having a compressive strength between about 500 and about 12,000 psi and a tensile strength between about 50 and about 200 psi, wherein the particle size of said uranium aggregate is between about 1/8 inch and about 4 inches in diameter, and wherein the thickness of said layer is between about 2 inches and about 20 inches.

A stable uranium aggregate capable of being used as a filler in a concrete shield for nuclear radiation comprising

• depleted uranium aggregate, said depleted uranium aggregate comprising at least one fused stabilized depleted uranium material.