Behavior of tritium permeation induced by water corrosion of alpha iron around room temperature

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Fusion Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T67· OSTI ID:22429754

Otsuka, T.; Hashizume, K. ^[1]

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1. Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan)

Tritium (T) permeation leakage to surroundings is a great safety concern in fission and fusion reactor systems. T permeation potentially occurs from T contaminated water through cooling tubes or storage tank made of metals which dissolve some T evolved by water corrosion. In order to understand behaviors of hydrogen uptake and permeation in pure α-iron (αFe) during water corrosion around room temperature, hydrogen permeation experiments for an αFe membrane have been conducted by means of tritium tracer techniques. The present study suggests that hydrogen produced by water corrosion of αFe is trapped in product oxide layers to delay hydrogen uptake in αFe for a moment. However, the oxide layers do not work as a sufficient barrier for hydrogen uptake. Some of hydrogen dissolved in αFe normally diffuses and permeates through the bulk in the early stage of permeation. In a later stage, hydrogen permeation could be apparently stopped by the disappearance of concentration difference of tritium. Hydrogen partial pressure at the water/αFe interface could be ranged from 0.7 to 9.5 kPa around room temperature.

• OSTI ID: 22429754
• Journal Information: Fusion Science and Technology, Journal Name: Fusion Science and Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 67; ISSN 1536-1055
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CORROSION
HYDROGEN
IRON-ALPHA
MEMBRANES
OXIDES
PARTIAL PRESSURE
PRESSURE RANGE KILO PA
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM
UPTAKE
WATER