Patent Number: 053389417
Section: claims

1. A method of making a radiation shielding container for irradiated nuclear-reactor fuel elements, comprising the steps of: (a) casting a spherulitic cast iron container body to form surfaces, said container body having a recessed seat for a cover and a cover is received in said seat, said surfaces having open pores in the cast iron;  (b) coating said surfaces with particles of a metal or metal alloy selected from the group which consists of nickel, nickel-based alloys, and austenitic nickel/chromium stainless steels and of a particle size smaller in diameter than the diameter of said pores, thereby filling said pores with said particles; and  (c) applying a laser beam upon said particles and said surfaces to at least partially fuse said particles to form a particle melt and bond said particles together and to said surfaces. 2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said surfaces are coated with said particles in the form of a layer of powder producing a powder melt upon applying of the laser beam thereon to partially fuse said particles. 3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said surfaces are coated with said particles in the form of a layer of powder producing a droplet melt upon applying of the laser beam thereon to partially fuse said particles. 4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said particles are applied to said surfaces in at least one layer of a thickness up to about 200 micrometers. 5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein said layer is applied to said surface in a thickness of about 100 micrometers. 6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of mechanically abrading the surfaces before the coating thereof with said particles. 7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said laser beam is applied on said surfaces with a back and forth movement fusing said particles to said surfaces. 8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein said particles are applied to said surfaces with a powder spray.