THOREX PILOT PLANT CORROSION STUDIES: I. CORROSION OF TYPES 304L AND 309SCb STAINLESS STEEL DURING PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT PERIODS
The corrosion behavior of types 304L and 309SCb stainless steel was examined during the production and first half of the development periods of Thorex pilot plant operation between December 15, 1954 and November 10, 1955. The process vessels in which corrosion data were obtained included the batch dissolver tank the feed adjustment tank the AP catch tank and the BT vapor separator. There was no significant difference between the corrosion resistance of the two alloys in any of the environments. Vapor-phase corrosion attack in some vessels was more severe than solution-phase attack in the same vessels, Dependent upon the particular process environment, corrosion rates in the vapor phase ranged from 0.1 to 46 mpy; solution-phase corrosion rates ranged from 0.1 to 28 mpy. The most severe attack in both solution and vapor phases occurred in the feed adjustment tank There was serious corrosion in the BT vapor separator also. Corrosion was moderate (8 mpy or less) in the batch dissolver tank and was almost negligible (0.2 mpy or less) in the AP catch tank. The attack on rolled surfaces of both types of stainless steel was uniform, with the exception that shallow, intergranular penetration was experienced in the more corrosive environments. Edge-surface attack was intense in the latter environments also and introduced some question as to the validity of corrosion rates based upon total attack on specimens. Neither of the alloys, initially stressed at 35,000 psi, experienced stress-corrosion cracking in any of the environments, nor was there any evidence of a stress-induced acceleration in the rates of attack Weld specimens of both alloys underwent preferential attack at the weld-parent metal interface in a number of the environments; the frequency of the attack was random in nature, however. Neither alloy was subject to crevice corrosion nor was accelerated corrosion at solution-vapor interfaces observed. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-012441
- OSTI ID:
- 4242119
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-2673
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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