Microbiologically influenced corrosion of stainless steel in a nuclear waste facility

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7092629

Jenkins, C F; Doman, D L

Corrosion in stainless steel cooling water piping in a nuclear waste processing facility occurred during an extended system lay-up. The failure characteristics indicated microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). The corrosion occurred at welds as pinhole penetrations in the surfaces, which opened into large subsurface void formations. Corrosive attack started in the heat-affected zones of the assembly welds, usually adjacent to fusion lines. Stepwise grinding, polishing, and etching in the affected areas revealed that voids generally grew in the wrought material as uniform, general corrosion. Tunneling (wormholing) erosion was also present. Selective attack occurred within the two-phase weld filler zone. The result was a void wall that was rough and porous-appearing, a consequence of preferential attack on the austenite. The three-dimensional spongy surface was studied optically and with the scanning electron microscope.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 7092629
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-92-391; CONF-930318-6; ON: DE93006569
• Resource Relation: Conference: NACE annual corrosion conference and materials performance and corrosion show, New Orleans, LA (United States), 7-12 Mar 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
COOLING SYSTEMS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
STEELS
BIODEGRADATION
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
BACTERIA
CORROSION
EROSION
LEAKS
METALLURGY
PIPES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
REMOTE VIEWING EQUIPMENT
WELDED JOINTS
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
EQUIPMENT
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINTS
MANAGEMENT
MICROORGANISMS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
550700 - Microbiology
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
360102 - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies