Shielded System with a Housing Having a High Atomic Number Metal Coating Applied By Thermal Spray Technique

Abstract

A radiation-shielded system and method of producing a radiation-shielded system having at least one component susceptible to disruption upon exposure to ionizing radiation, wherein the susceptible component is protected by a rigid housing having a metallic layer of high atomic number that is deposited on the surface of the housing using a thermal spray technique.

1 . A method of preparing a radiation shielded enclosure for an electronic component comprising: 
 thermally spraying metal particles on at least a portion of a surface of a rigid housing;    forming a metal coating layer on the surface; and    positioning the coated housing around a component that is susceptible to disruption upon exposure to radiation so that the component is substantially surrounded by the housing, wherein the metal coating layer has an actual density of 97% to 100% of the theoretical density of the metal.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal particles are comprised of a high atomic number metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum, tungsten, lead, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid housing is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, beryllium, beryllium alloy, plastics, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal coating layer is deposited using a thermal spray technique selected from the group consisting of High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray and Plasma Arc Spray (PAS).  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the component susceptible to disruption is selected the group consisting of electronic components, living organisms, micro-mechanical devices, piezo-electronic components, magnetic memory systems, optical memory systems, electronic memory systems, organic memory systems, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the component susceptible to disruption is an electronic component.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of incorporating the coated housing into an electronic system of a vehicle.  
   
   
       8 . A method of preparing a radiation shielded system, the method comprising 
 using a thermal spray technique selected from the group consisting of High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray and Plasma Arc Spray (PAS), to deposit metal particles on a surface of a rigid housing;    forming a metal layer on the housing, the metal layer having an actual density of 97% to 100% of the theoretical density of the metal; and    placing at least one component susceptible to disruption upon exposure to ionizing radiation in the housing, wherein the housing substantially surrounds the at least one component, and wherein the housing comprises a material having a melting temperature greater than about 200° F.    
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one component susceptible to disruption is selected the group consisting of electronic components, living organisms, micro-mechanical devices, piezo-electronic components, magnetic memory systems, optical memory systems, electronic memory systems, organic memory systems, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one component susceptible to disruption is an electronic component.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one electronic component is designed to perform at least one computational function and wherein the electronic component is susceptible to interruption of the at least one computational function upon exposure to external ionizing radiation.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the metal particles are comprised of a high atomic number metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum, tungsten, lead, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the rigid housing is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, beryllium, beryllium alloy, plastics, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of exposing the housing to a source of radiation external to the susceptible component, whereby the radiation is attenuated by the rigid housing and deposited metal layer prior to encountering the susceptible component.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the shielded system is incorporated into the electronic systems of a vehicle.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of aircraft, spacecraft, land vehicles, aquatic vessels, and missiles.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the metal layer comprises a unitary metallic coating on the surface of the housing.  
   
   
       18 . A method of preparing a radiation shielded system, the method comprising 
 thermally spraying metal particles on a surface of a rigid housing;    forming a unitary metal layer on the surface; and    positioning the housing having the metal layer around a component that is susceptible to disruption upon exposure to radiation so that the component is substantially surrounded by the housing.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the metal layer has an actual density of 97% to 100% of the theoretical density of the metal.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the metal particles being thermally sprayed are heated to a temperature that is greater than the melting temperature of the material comprising the surface onto which the metal particles are sprayed.