Boron Carbide Powders
Boron Carbide Based Products for Nuclear Radiation Shielding
Background
Boron carbide is an important material for the nuclear industry due to high neutron absorption cross section (760 barn at neutron velocity of 2200 m/sec). The cross section of the B10 isotope in boron is higher (3800 barn). Waste from a nuclear plant and other operations using radioactive materials is primarily a solid waste, spent fuel and radioactive equipment/parts/construction materials, etc. The waste is under the control of the plant operators and subsequent waste owners or managers, including the Department of Energy, until it has been disposed of. Use of our products would allow a reduction in the level of residual radioactivity in equipment, components and construction elements of buildings at minimal cost
Boron carbide is the material of choice for nuclear radiation absorption applications because it offers a high concentration of boron atoms. Pure boron on other hand does not bond well and oxidizes rapidly which makes it ineffective when used to produce shapes and coatings.
Products And Services
UK Abrasives offers a wide variety of products to meet most applications associated with nuclear radiation absorption applications, such as:
| •Product Code | Description | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| NRS-RP | Boron Carbide enhanced Rubber sheets and extrusions with Boron Carbide content in rubber up to 20% of total volume | Temporary storage enclosures,covers and extra shielding for transportation purposes. |
| NRS-CG | Boron Carbide enhanced coatings with Boron Nitride content up to 20%. | Temporary or permanent reduction of radiation pollution level. |
| NRS-PP | Boron Carbide enhanced paints with Boron Nitride content up to 5%. | Construction and machinery irradiation impact reduction. |
| NRS-AP | Boron Carbide enhanced aluminum sheets and fabricated products with B4C content up to 25% | Containment of radioactive source.Most durable product. |
| NRS-LP | Materials coated with Boron Carbide enhanced polyurethane with B4C content up to 25% | Radioactive shielding for short term usage (under 6 month). |
| NRS-SP | Custom designed Boron Enhanced products | |
| B4C NG | Boron Carbide powder as radiation shielding component in composite material formulations | Cement and Concrete Mixes,MMC (Metal Matrix Compounds) |
Physical Properties of Boron Carbide Powder
| ASTM Type |
1,2,3 or Special | Total B+C | 98% min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boron | 70-80% | B2O3 | 0.1 |
| Carbon | 24% max. | Isotope B10 (atomic weight) | 19.5-21.5% |
Nuclear Quality Assurance Compliance and Engineering Support.
• UK Abrasives, Inc. is NQA1 (Nuclear Quality Assurance Program) certified supplier of Boron Carbide for nuclear applications.
• Please consult our Engineering Department for product technical and application support.