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U.S. Department of Energy
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Accelerated IGA/SCC testing of Alloy 600 in contaminated PWR environments

Conference ·
OSTI ID:48111
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Babcock & Wilcox R&D Division, Alliance, OH (United States)
  2. NFI, Osaka (Japan)
  3. Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Services, Lynchburg, VA (United States)
  4. Kansai Electric, Osaka (Japan)

An accelerated corrosion test (360{degrees}C for 2000 hrs) was performed on C-ring specimens machined from one heat of Alloy 600 tubing in the mill-annealed condition. The specimens were exposed to secondary-side pressurized-water-reactor (PWR) solutions contaminated with lead, sulfur, silicon, and a combination of these contaminants. Where possible, MULTEQ calculations were performed to determine the chemical concentrations so that a constant elevated-temperature pH of 4.5 was achieved. This test was designed to examine the ability of these contaminants to cause intergranular attack and/or stress corrosion in stressed Alloy 600 tubing. The results from this test demonstrated that under the test conditions used, lead-contaminated PWR secondary water induces and propagates intergranular attack (IGA) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in Alloy 600. Attack was intergranular; the degree of attack did not vary in the liquid or vapor portions of the test environments. Although attack was more severe at higher stresses, significant attack was observed in samples stressed to the typical operating stress. Solutions of only sulfur and only silicon displayed no initiation or propagation of either IGA or SCC. However, the solution containing all three contaminants caused attack with identical morphology to that observed in the lead-contaminated solution.

OSTI ID:
48111
Report Number(s):
CONF-910808--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English