Prevention of stress-corrosion cracking in nuclear waste storage tanks
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) has occurred in the early versions of carbon steel primaries of nuclear waste tanks at the Savannah River Plant. (Secondary containment was provided by a vessel surrounding the lower portion of the primary tank.) Evaporated alkaline nitrate wastes in the form of crystallized salts are being dissolved from some of these tanks for transfer to new tanks of a different design. To prevent the SCC sequence from occurring during salt dissolution, the levels of inhibitors required to prevent cracking at yield stresses were determined. Special statistically designed experiments were performed to evaluate the probability of cracking under the combined influences of nitrate, nitrite, hydroxide, and temperature. Experimentlly, samples were tested by a potentially controlled constant extension rate test and by wedge opening loaded samples. Two equations were derived by multivariable regression analyses that correlated probability of cracking as the dependent variable to nitrate, nitrite, and hydroxide concentrations and temperature as the independent variables. From these equations, simple operating standards were developed by setting the probability of cracking equal to zero and solving for the four independent variables. 15 references, 15 figures, 8 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5238890
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-83-79; CONF-840405-3; ON: DE84001410
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: NACE corrosion '84 international forum and exhibition, New Orleans, LA, USA, 1 Apr 1984; Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CARBON STEELS
CRACKS
STRESS CORROSION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
TANKS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
HYDROXIDES
NITRATES
NITRITES
QUANTITY RATIO
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MANAGEMENT
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
STEELS
STORAGE
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
360105* - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage