METHOD FOR INDUSTRIAL DISINTEGRATION OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS Russian patent published in 1996 - IPC

FIELD: handling of nuclear-powered ships and vessels to be decommissioned. SUBSTANCE: method for disintegration of nuclear-powered ships and vessels followed by decontamination of fragments obtained involves their chemical and mechanical cutting using long members having cumulative depression aimed at hull material. Members are filled with binary mixture with stabilizing dope and mixture explosion initiator; used as binary mixture may be liquid components of combustible fuel and oxidizer, as stabilizing dope, manganese salt, and as initiator, mixture of inorganic salts and electric spark igniter. Hull is cut into three parts. Central part accommodating nuclear power plant is separated, cut into smaller fragments, and decontaminated by remelting under flux in the amount of 1.0-2.0% of melt weight. $$$ mixture with carbonic component may be used as flux. During remelting, metal cleaned of radionuclides is separated and sent to industrial plants and slag containing radionuclides as well as gases are recovered; slag is vitrified for further burial and gases are passed through special filters. Melting process is carried out so that activity of cleaned metal is not over 10% of initial value and activity of slag, at least 90% of initial value, activity of exit gases, not over 3%. EFFECT: improved radiation and environmental safety of process. 4 cl