CORROSION OF URANIUM ALLOYS IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE WATER

Technical Report · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EST 1953

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4317597· OSTI ID:4317597

Pray, H A; Berry, W E

In the search for a corrosion-resistant high-uraniumcontent alloy for use as core material in high-temperature-water-moderated reactors, the corrosion of binary and ternary U alloys was studied in water at 500 and 600 deg F. Alloys contaiiifng less than 40 wt,% Zr additions completely oxidized upon short exposure at 600 deg F, whereas 50 plus wt.% alloys exhibited relatively low corrosion rates. Alloys were sensitive to heat treatment and were most resistant in the quenched condition. The corrosion rates of Zr alloys were linear to slightly accelerated with respect to time. Alloys containing 40, 50, and 60 wt.% Zr were resistant to water at 500 deg F. Molybdenum additions (arc-melted alloys) in the range of 10 to 15 wt.% improved the resistance of U to 600 deg F water but did not result in corrosion-resistant alloys, probably because of inhomogeneity of the alloys studied. The addition of Mo, Nb,Th, Sn, and Ti to uranium--20 wt.% zirconium resulted in several promising alloys: uranium--20 zirconium--5 molybdenum and uranium--20 zirconium-10 niobium. Additions of up to 5 wt,% Mo did not improve the resistance of 40 and 50% Zr alloys to 600 deg F water. A uranium--30 zirconium--5.6 tantalum alloy also exhibited promising resistance to 600 deg F water. Other additions (2 and 5 at.%) which did not improve the resistance of uranium--30 wt.% zirconium were: Sb, Bi, Cc, Cr, Co, Fe, Pb, Ni, Nb, Si, Th, Ti, and W. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-12-002900
• OSTI ID: 4317597
• Report Number(s): BMI-874
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Decl. June 18, 1957. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND CERAMICS
ANTIMONY ALLOYS
BISMUTH ALLOYS
CERIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COBALT ALLOYS
CORROSION
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON ALLOYS
LEAD ALLOYS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
SENSITIVITY
SILICIDES
STABILITY
TANTALUM ALLOYS
THORIUM ALLOYS
TIN ALLOYS
TITANIUM ALLOYS
TUNGSTEN ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS
WATER
WATER MODERATOR
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS