Iron tungsten borocarbide body for nuclear shielding applications
Provided is a body, a method for manufacturing the body and a method of using of the body for nuclear shielding in a nuclear reactor. The body may include boron, iron, chromium, carbon and tungsten.
1. A body composition, comprising:
boron in an amount of 21-41 atomic percent (at %);
iron in an amount of 25-35 at %;
chromium in an amount of 2-4 at %;
carbon in an amount of 3-10 at %; and
a balance of tungsten of the body composition,
wherein at least 95 at % of the Fe is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
2. The body composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least 95 at % of the Cr is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
3. The body composition according to claim 1 , wherein less than 5 at % of the Fe is in the form of FeCr.
4. A method of producing a body composition, comprising:
providing one or ore powders comprising B, Fe, Cr, C and W;
milling the one or more powders with an organic binder to obtain a powder mixture;
pressing the milled powder mixture; and
sintering the pressed powder mixture to obtain a sintered body,
wherein the one or more powders comprising the B, the Fe, the Cr, the C and the W include
boron in an amount of 21-41 atomic percent (at %);
iron in an amount of 25-35 at %;
chromium in an amount of 2-4 at %;
carbon in an amount of 3-10 at %; and
a balance of tungsten of the body composition,
wherein at least 95 at % of the Fe is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the sintering step is a reactive sintering process.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the boron is added in the form of B 4 C.
7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the iron and the chromium are added in the form of FeCr.
8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the W is added in the form of W and optionally WC.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the amount of the WC added is less than 5 wt %.
10. A method of manufacturing an object for nuclear shielding in a nuclear reactor, comprising:
preparing a body composition comprising
boron in an amount of 21-41 atomic percent (at %);
iron in an amount of 25-35 at %;
chromium in an amount of 2-4 at %;
carbon in an amount of 3-10 at %; and
a balance of tungsten of the body composition,
wherein at least 95 at % of the Fe is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
11. A body composition, comprising:
boron in an amount of 21-41 atomic percent (at %);
iron in an amount of 25-35 at %;
chromium in an amount of 2-4 at %;
carbon in an amount of 3-10 at %; and
a balance of tungsten of the body composition,
wherein at least 95 at % of the Cr is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
12. The body composition according to claim 11 , wherein at least 95 at % of the Fe is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
13. The body composition according to claim 11 , wherein less than 5 at % of the Fe is in the form of FeCr.
14. A body composition, comprising:
boron in an amount of 21-41 atomic percent (at %);
iron in an amount of 25-35 at %;
chromium in an amount of 2-4 at %;
carbon in an amount of 3-10 at %; and
a balance of tungsten of the body composition,
wherein less than 5 at % of the Fe is in the form of FeCr.
15. The body composition according to claim 14 , wherein at least 95 at % of the Fe is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.
16. The body composition according to claim 14 , wherein at least 95 at % of the Cr is in the form of a boride, an intermetallic boride or an intermetallic carbide.