Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Processes – Filling preformed cavity
Patent
1995-10-10
1997-10-07
Kent, Christopher Todd
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Processes
Filling preformed cavity
527414, 52390, E04F 1314
Patent
active
056735324
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to the coating of surfaces, especially large area surfaces of containments such as tanks, containers, vessels, cabins, rooms and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In our prior specification WO 93/13531 a convenient method of immobilising and sealing radioactive contaminants contained on a contaminated surface is described. A source of intense heat is applied to effect the immobilisation and sealing. In one embodiment, a vitrifiable powder may be applied to the surface being treated. The heat, eg provided by a laser beam, causes a suitable glazed coating to be formed from the vitrifiable material to cause the contaminants to be immobilised and sealed.
The method described in the said prior specification is aimed specifically at the treatment of radioactively contaminated surfaces and is not intended for use in covering large area surfaces.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of coating a surface, especially a large area surface, to protect the surface from corrosive agents which may or may not include agents other than radioactive contaminants.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of forming a coating on a wall or other surface of an object which comprises the steps of applying a multiplicity of tiles to adhere to the surface, the edges between adjacent tiles being separated by grouting material comprising a vitrifiable particulate material incorporated in a binder, and applying local heat from a source of heat to the routing material to cause vitrification of the particulate material thereby to weld the tiles together.
The said surface may be the wall, ceiling or floor of a containment such as a tank, vessel, container, cabin, room or the like.
The said tiles may be plates or blocks having main faces which are bounded by shapes which fit closely together, eg straight sided quadrilateral shapes, for example squares, rectangles, diamonds or parallelograms.
The said tiles could alternatively have other shapes which fit together without substantial gaps, eg triangles or hexagons.
The said tiles may be made of glass-ceramic material which may itself include at least regions of a vitrifiable material which assists welding together of adjacent tiles by vitrification of the grouting material.
The tiles may be adhered to the underlying surface by conventional adhesive, eg a resinous material and/or by the weld formed by heat treatment of the vitrifiable material between tiles or at convenient points through the tiles creating a `pinning` action. In the latter case, the tiles may be provided with one or more pre-formed holes to facilitate irradiation of the underlying surface from the source of heat.
The said vitrifiable material may comprise glass powder optionally mixed with one or more other particulate materials comprising metal, ceramic, stone such as granite, pozzolana, pozzolan or chamotte.
The binder may comprise a material providing a paste or a spray, eg an aqueous or organic liquid, whereby the material may be applied by spraying, pasting or other suitable application process.
The said material may optionally include a colouring agent.
The applied heat may provide an energy level of at least 50 watts per cm.sup.2, preferably at least 150 Watts per cm.sup.2, at the surface being treated. The heat may be provided by laser radiation which may be obtained from a laser source applied directly or via an optical coupling means, eg a fibre optic guide. Suitable laser radiation may be provided by a solid state, eg a rare earth doped crystal laser, such as Nd/YAG (neodymium/yttrium aluminium garnet), or a gas laser such as a helium
eon or carbon dioxide laser. The radiation from such a laser source may be in the visible or other (eg infra red) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The output radiation from the laser source may be continuous or pulsed. The radiation may be formed in a spot, eg having a diameter of from 4 mm to 8 mm.
Where the heat is provided by laser radiation, the laser radiation may be swept along the regions
REFERENCES:
patent: 4817963 (1989-04-01), Munden et al.
patent: 4990398 (1991-02-01), Fukumoto et al.
patent: 5186217 (1993-02-01), Kallinich et al.
Jennings Howard Timothy
McKeown Nicola
British Nuclear Fuels PLC
Kent Christopher Todd
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