ELECTRON BEAM CUTTING OF ROCKS AND CONCRETE

THE WESTINGHOUSE NONVACUUM ELECTRON GUN WAS USED FOR SOME INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF CUTTING ROCKS AND CONCRETE. WITH AN ELECTRON BEAM OF 145 KV AND 9 KW NARROW CUTS UP TO 4 INCHES DEEP WERE OBTAINED IN GRANITE, SANDSTONE, LIMESTONE, CONCRETE BLOCKS, AND REINFORCED CONCRETE. THE CROSS SECTION OF THE CUT INCREASED WITH CUTTING SPEED WHILE THE DEPTH DIMINISHED. TYPICALLY, IN CONCRETE A SLIT 3/4 INCH DEEP WAS OBTAINED AT A CUTTING SPEED OF 20 INCHES/MIN. GRANITE AND SANDSTONE FRACTURED UNDER THE THERMAL STRESSES. CONCRETE, LIMESTONE, ZIRCONIA AND ALUMINA GAVE CLEAN CUTS. NATURAL COAL WAS, IN ADDITION, IGNITED. THE NARROW AND DEEP MELT-CUTS WHICH CAN BE ACHIEVED ALLOW CUTTING 2 PRISMATIC ROCK SECTIONS WITHOUT ACTUALLY MELTING MUCH OF THE ROCK. CUTTING FAST BUT SHALLOW KERFS, THE FRAGMENTS CAN ALSO BE KEPT SMALL, IF DESIRED. WORKING WITH BROAD BEAMS IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO PRODUCE SURFACE SPALLATION IN THOSE ROCKS WHICH EXHIBIT THIS PHENOMENON. INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE PROCESS IS ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE WITH EXISTING METHODS. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Westinghouse Research and Development Center

  1310 Beulah Road
  Pittsburgh, PA  United States  15235
• Authors:
  • Schumacher, B W
• Publication Date: 1968-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete; Cutting; Electron beams; Granite; Limestone; Melting; Reinforced concrete; Rocks; Spalling; Thermal stresses
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216393
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 24 1994 12:00AM