Machining Cadmium

[IROC]

Since the pelican community never seems to disappoint when it comes to obscure topics, we have a piece of equipment that requires the use of cadmium. To fabricate the part, we apply the cadmium to aluminum structure of the part using a flame-spraying process and then machine the cadmium down to the required thickness.

We are in the process of fabricating another one of these items now and our previous source for the cadmium machining won't do it again. And...we can't find anyone else to do it either. Something about all of their employees dying, blah blah blah. Just kidding...

Does any know of a company that might be willing to machine some cadmium? The part is reasonable large (roughly a meter in diameter and maybe 1.5 m tall)?

[mjohnson]

Wiki made Cd look like a worse-version of Zn so how bad can it be? But now I see that it's RCRA listed.

Gawd knows that we're very expensive. Really really expensive, but could one of the other DOE sites do it for you? I know that here in Los Alamos, we do some things with everything. We machine lots of heavy metals for various reasons, perhaps Cd is already in our wastestream?

[IROC]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

Wiki made Cd look like a worse-version of Zn so how bad can it be? But now I see that it's RCRA listed.

Gawd knows that we're very expensive. Really really expensive, but could one of the other DOE sites do it for you? I know that here in Los Alamos, we do some things with everything. We machine lots of heavy metals for various reasons, perhaps Cd is already in our wastestream?

Thanks for chiming in. As soon as I saw your user ID, I thought "oh, yeah! Los Alamos!".

The only other DOE facility that has shown any interest is INL, but I don't think it is going to bear much fruit. We had a meeting with our internal F&O people last week about developing the capability to do the machining here on site. You're right - it will be expensive, but we don't really have a choice.

We just got a quote back for some beryllium. Talk about expensive!!

[masraum]

Just so long as you're really careful with the dilithium crystals. No blowing up the planet, thanks.

Originally Posted by IROC

Thanks for chiming in. As soon as I saw your user ID, I thought "oh, yeah! Los Alamos!".

The only other DOE facility that has shown any interest is INL, but I don't think it is going to bear much fruit. We had a meeting with our internal F&O people last week about developing the capability to do the machining here on site. You're right - it will be expensive, but we don't really have a choice.

We just got a quote back for some beryllium. Talk about expensive!!

I understand why it is expensive--those materials are nasty. I have a friend who worked decades ago in the nuclear industry, machining nuclear bomb parts out of beryllium. He developed berylliosis, which has pretty much destroyed his lungs after 30 years--he uses oxygen to breathe. Apparently they didn't know about the deleterious effects back then.

I bet cadmium is equally hazardous to machine.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

I understand why it is expensive--those materials are nasty. I have a friend who worked decades ago in the nuclear industry, machining nuclear bomb parts out of beryllium. He developed berylliosis, which has pretty much destroyed his lungs after 30 years--he uses oxygen to breathe. Apparently they didn't know about the deleterious effects back then.

I bet cadmium is equally hazardous to machine.

Yes, that's the rumor.

We have to use a number of oddball materials (beryllium, cadmium and gadolinium in this one component) and also crazy processes like HIPing (Hot Isostatic Pressing). We're bonding the cadmium to the gadolinium using HIPing, but other parts of the item require cadmium machining, so we can't HIP there...

Don't get me started on the e-beam welding...

[sc_rufctr]

I have to ask and you probably wont answer which is understandable but what are you making?

I'm guessing high tech Aerospace or parts of a satellite. Maybe something NASA will be sending off into space?

[David]

Why are they specifying cadmium? Is it acting as an anode?

Why not just make the whole thing out of titanium if corrosion is the issue?

[GH85Carrera]

Just get one them fancy new 3D printers and print one out!

[Bill Douglas]

Outsource the job to China. they will probably make a few spare ones while they are at it.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

I have to ask and you probably wont answer which is understandable but what are you making?

We are making an Inner Reflector Plug!! It slows down neutrons produced from a spallation process using supercritical hydrogen moderators. The neutrons are then reflected by the beryllium and focused down beam ports. The cadmium and gadolinium are neutron absorbers that shape the neutron flux to flavors that neutron scattering instruments like...

[David]

Originally Posted by IROC

We are making an Inner Reflector Plug!! It slows down neutrons produced from a spallation process using supercritical hydrogen moderators. The neutrons are then reflected by the beryllium and focused down beam ports. The cadmium and gadolinium are neutron absorbers that shape the neutron flux to flavors that neutron scattering instruments like...

Oh...

[IROC]

Originally Posted by David

Why are they specifying cadmium? Is it acting as an anode?

Why not just make the whole thing out of titanium if corrosion is the issue?

Yeah...we need the neutron absorption capabilities of the cadmium. We have looked into other materials, but they are either very exotic or even harder to apply and machine than cadmium.

[IROC]

A picture of the beast. It looks simple, but the insides are extremely complex.



The piping up top for heavy water and liquid hydrogen (during installation of the last one in 2018):

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Outsource the job to China. they will probably make a few spare ones while they are at it.

The US gov can't afford the tariffs

[Bill Douglas]

Lol

[aschen]

It is relatively common to machine Beryllium alloys for oilfield applications. Cadmium sounds even more nasty but I have no real idea. Lots of the bigger shops in the houston region have no problem with Be alloys.

Here is one of the higher end shops, but there are tons more of course:
Knust-Godwin – Welcome to Knust-Godwin! Your one-stop shop for art to part precision turnkey manufacturing. Committed to quality, we will bring your projects to completion with confidence. Made with pride in Katy, TX

[aschen]

Originally Posted by IROC

Yeah...we need the neutron absorption capabilities of the cadmium. We have looked into other materials, but they are either very exotic or even harder to apply and machine than cadmium.

[911pcars]

Not sure how many facilities are near you, but due to the hazardous materials aspect, a CNC machining center might be your best bet to avoid close contact with the resultant machined schaf and effluent.

For example, a quick scan in Google presented a company called Aeromet in Indiana (no affiliation).

Sherwood

Originally Posted by IROC

We are making an Inner Reflector Plug!! It slows down neutrons produced from a spallation process using supercritical hydrogen moderators. The neutrons are then reflected by the beryllium and focused down beam ports. The cadmium and gadolinium are neutron absorbers that shape the neutron flux to flavors that neutron scattering instruments like...

That's what I figured.