Corrosion in ICPP fuel storage basins

Book · Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:70095

Dirk, W J ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co. Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant currently stores irradiated nuclear fuel in fuel storage basins. Historically, fuel has been stored for over 30 years. During the 1970`s, an algae problem occurred which required higher levels of chemical treatment of the basin water to maintain visibility for fuel storage operations. This treatment led to higher levels of chlorides than seen previously which caused increased corrosion of aluminum and carbon steel, but has had little effect on the stainless steel in the basin. Corrosion measurements of select aluminum fuel storage cans, aluminum fuel storage buckets, and operational support equipment have been completed. Aluminum has exhibited good general corrosion rates, but has shown accelerated preferential attack in the form of pitting. Hot dipped zinc coated carbon steel, which has been in the basin for approximately 40 years, has shown a general corrosion rate of 4 mpy, and there is evidence of large shallow pits on the surface. A welded type 304 stainless steel corrosion coupon has shown no attack after 13 years exposure. Galvanic couples between carbon steel welded to Type 304 stainless steel occur in fuel storage yokes exposed to the basin water. These welded couples have shown galvanic attack as well as hot weld cracking and intergranular cracking, The intergranular stress corrosion cracking is attributed to crevices formed during fabrication which allowed chlorides to concentrate.

• OSTI ID: 70095
• Report Number(s): CONF-940222-; TRN: IM9529%%434
• Resource Relation: Conference: Corrosion 94: National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) international annual conference, Baltimore, MD (United States), 28 Feb - 4 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Corrosion/94 conference papers; PB: 5005 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
05 NUCLEAR FUELS
IDAHO CHEMICAL PROCESSING PLANT
FUEL STORAGE POOLS
CORROSION
ALUMINIUM
PITTING CORROSION
CARBON STEELS
WELDED JOINTS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
FUEL CANS
CORROSION RESISTANCE
CRACK PROPAGATION
WATER CHEMISTRY
CONCRETES
ZIRCONIUM
ULTRASONIC TESTING
COMPILED DATA
THICKNESS