Hot working of oxidisable metal or alloy billet - esp. of uranium alloy billet coated with glass to eliminate its oxidn. during extrusion

摘要

The billet is coated with glass which melts and is viscous at the hot working temp., followed by hot plastic deformation of the coated billet. The cold billet is pref. coated with glass powder, esp. a suspension of glass powder in alcohol or in water glass used as a binder; and after heating, the billet is worked, esp. by extrusion, and quenched in water to remove the glass. The billet is esp. a uranium alloy coated with glass to prevent its oxidn. during hot extrusion. The glass pref. contains the oxides of K, Ca, Al, B and Si; or the oxides of Na, Ca, Al, B, and Si, and the pref. plant includes a furnace in which the billet is heated in glass powder and is then transported to an extruder. Avoids the need for vacuum extrusion, which is a complicated process.