| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 230 740 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
09.08.1989 Bulletin 1989/32 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
05.08.1987 Bulletin 1987/32 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 10.12.1986 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)4: G21F 9/36 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
CH DE FR GB LI SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
11.12.1985 AU 3817/85
|
| (71) |
Applicants: |
|
- AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION
Lucas Heights
New South Wales 2234 (AU)
- THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 (AU)
|
|
| (72) |
Inventor: |
|
- Ramm, Eric John
Lilli Pilli
New South Wales 2229 (AU)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Read, Matthew Charles et al |
|
Venner Shipley & Co.
20 Little Britain
London EC1A 7DH
London EC1A 7DH (GB) |
|
| |
|
| (54) |
Container heating or sintering arrangements and methods |
(57) A continuous furnace is arranged to heat a stack of metal containers (10) which are
displaced vertically through the furnace (15); the containers (10) can be heated to
very high temperatures. The furnace has a gas manifold (18) extending vertically upwardly
within the furnace (15) and adapted to engage with gas discharge pipes (11) from the
containers in the stack. Each container is supported on a support base which can be
engaged and supported by a forked manipulator (24) and also by a jack (23) located
below the furnace (15) for lifting the stack of metal containers. The apparatus can
be used for sintering thin-walled metal containers containing cold compacted ceramic
powder and radioactive waste and can also be used for preheating containers such as
bellows containers for use in hot pressing operations, wherein radioactive waste is
immobilised in a matrix of ceramic powder or metal powder located within the container.