Half-plant low dichromate evaluation at KW Reactor: Production Test-176. Final report

Technical Report · Wed Sep 30 04:00:00 EDT 1970

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10146360· OSTI ID:10146360

Larrick, A P

This final report details production test-176, the primary purpose of which was to provide a quantitative comparison of fuel element 8001 aluminum alloy cladding corrosion in cooling water containing 0.5 and 1.0 ppm sodium dichromate inhibitor. Secondary purposes were to provide information on cladding corrosion as a function of temperature and as a function of time at both inhibitor concentrations. The primary purpose was well fulfilled: Equations were developed to describe and predict fuel element weight losses at both dichromate concentrations and the effect of dichromate concentration on localized corrosion was clearly established. Little effect of dichromate concentration on localized corrosion was observed when fuel cladding temperatures were below 115--120 C but above these temperatures the localized corrosion definitely was more severe in coolant containing 0.5 ppm inhibitor. The bottom rows of fuel element supports rapidly corroded away at the higher temperatures which caused a further increase in local temperatures due to flow imbalances and this in turn accelerated the localized corrosion. Because the higher dichromate concentration reduced the amount of support corrosion, 1.0 ppm dichromate should be employed to control localized corrosion whenever cladding temperatures are expected to be above 120 C for long periods of time. These tests indicated that the corrosion occurring at exposures of 66 operating days, and with clad temperatures of 120 C or above, would not seriously limit fuel integrity at 0.5 ppm inhibitor but that for exposures of 105 operating days extensive pitting corrosion would be expected.

• Research Organization: Douglas United Nuclear, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10146360
• Report Number(s): DUN--7253; ON: DE93012160
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220600
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CORROSION PROTECTION
DICHROMATES
EVALUATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HANFORD PRODUCTION REACTORS
PITTING CORROSION
PROGRESS REPORT
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
RESEARCH
TEST
TRAINING
PRODUCTION
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
TESTING
WATER CHEMISTRY