FR2918498A1 - Living organism protecting device, has carbon matrix mounted between dense materials to stop beta rays and gamma rays, where materials with good heat conductivity enclose carbon matrix and paraffin matrix for stopping neutron rays - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a paraffin matrix (2) utilized like an absorbing element for absorbing ionizing radiations, where the paraffin matrix is connected to a carbon matrix (1). The carbon matrix is mounted between two dense materials (3) such as Densimet(RTM: tungsten alloy), so as to stop beta rays, X rays and gamma rays. The materials with good heat conductivity enclose the carbon matrix and the paraffin matrix for stopping the neutron radiation. The dense materials evacuate calories during high neutron radiation.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for protecting human beings

  live against ionizing radiation (alpha, beta plus and minus, X, gamma) and neutron (neutrons). This protective operation is usually performed by confining the radiating material in hermetic enclosures of material and thickness depending on the nature and energy of the radiation. When the radiation is multiple, in particular, beta plus, X, gamma and neutron confinement is achieved by a large thickness of material. Beta plus, X and gamma radiation are stopped by a thickness of concrete, lead or high density materials.

  Neutron radiation is stopped by a thickness of concrete, water or paraffin. It is indirectly ionizing because it is its capture by the nuclei of the atoms of matter or their interaction with them that generates gamma radiation and / or various particles. Each nucleus undergoes what is called a fission liberating energy and therefore heat. Paraffin is one of the materials that best absorbs neutron radiation, the disadvantages of its use are the heating caused by fission and its low thermal conductivity, related to its physical properties that makes it liquid from sixty degrees centigrade, flammable from two hundred degrees centigrade and self-oxidizing from two hundred and forty degrees centigrade. The device according to the invention overcomes these disadvantages. The first feature of the device is to use paraffin (2) as an ionizing radiation absorber element bonded to a carbon matrix (1), Fig .: 1. The agglomerate matrix of carbon plus paraffin nodules retains all its neutron-absorbing character with performances identical to those of paraffin used independently. The second characteristic of the device is that this matrix agglomerate makes it possible to increase the thermal conductivity of paraffin, which is naturally of the order of 0.25 W / mK, by a factor of 10 to 100 depending on the density. of carbon in the matrix. Increasing the conductivity while keeping the neutrophage character allows the device to evacuate the calories during intense neutron bombardment. The third characteristic of the device is that this matrix agglomerate is sandwiched between two dense materials (3) in order to stop beta plus radiation, X, gamma. Among these dense materials, the most used are concrete and lead. In order to maintain the neutrophage character associated with the evacuation of calories, the use of Densimet to make the sandwich of the carbon / paraffin matrix is an additional element characterizing the invention since this material, unlike lead, has a high thermal conductivity. 1000 W / mK order. The attached drawing illustrates the invention: The carbon / paraffin matrix (1) (2) is sandwiched between two dense materials (3). The carbon / paraffin matrix (1) (2) has a neutrophage character. dense materials (3) stop the beta plus radiation, X, gamma. - The dense material, Densimet, allows to evacuate the calories in case of intense neutron radiation. The increased conductivity of the carbon / paraffin matrix and the high thermal conductivity of the Densimet linked to a complementary cooling device allow the evacuation of the calories thus avoiding a runaway in case of even more intense neutron radiation.

Claims (2)

  1) The device to protect biologically against beta plus, X, gamma and neutron radiation is characterized by a sandwich consisting of two walls of dense material (3) with good thermal conductivity to stop beta plus radiation, X, gamma, enclosing a matrix complex of graphite (1) and nodules of soft material, with high concentration of hydrogen, (2) to stop neutron radiation.   2) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the graphite matrix (1) and material with a high concentration of hydrogen (2) is a neutrophage, which captures and brakes neutrons, capable of evacuating the calories produced. by neutron radiation.