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THE CORROSION OF BERYLLIUM AND SOME BERYLLIUM ALLOYS BY HIGH-TEMPERATURE WATER AND STEAM

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4130607

Tests of beryllium and a few beryllium alloys in water and saturated steam at 325 deg C, and in dry steam at 500 deg C, are reported. At 325 deg C, saturated steam is significantly more aggressive than water. There are large and irregular differences of corrosion behavior between specimens of beryllium prepared by various fabrication routes. A powder route involving tungsten arc - melting appears, however, to be the most likely to yield resistant material. Additions of nickel (0.5 to 5% by weight) confer resistance to water, and even to saturated steam, at 325 deg C; but calcium-containing alloys have poor resistance. Corrosion at 500 deg C seems less severe than that in steam at 325 deg C. Pre- exposure to air at 500 deg C significantly increases the resistance of beryllium to subsequent corrosion in wet steam, and it may also diminish corrosion at 500 deg C. (auth)

Research Organization:
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, England
NSA Number:
NSA-18-004192
OSTI ID:
4130607
Report Number(s):
AERE-R-4422
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English