Evaluation of water chemistry on the pitting susceptibility of aluminum
Book
·
OSTI ID:548563
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
Aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuels are being stored in water in the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and the reactor disassembly (cooling) basins at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Experience shows that fuels stored in water are subject to rapid pitting corrosion if the water quality is poor. Upgrade projects and actions, including those to improve water quality, were recently undertaken to upgrade the disassembly basins for extended storage. A technical strategy was developed for continued basin storage of aluminum-clad fuel assemblies. The strategy includes development and implementation of basin technical standards for water quality to minimize attack due to pitting corrosion over a desired storage period. In the absence of localized corrosion, only slow, general corrosion of the cladding would be expected. A laboratory corrosion program is being performed to provide the bases for technical standards by identifying the region of aggressive water qualities where existing oxide films would tend to break down and pits would initiate and remain active. Initial results from corrosion potential and cyclic polarization testing of aluminum alloys in various water chemistries have shown that low conductivity water (< 50 {micro}S/cm) should not be aggressive to cause self-pitting corrosion. Initial results from tests of 8001 and 5052 aluminum and aluminium-10% uranium alloy indicate that a strong galvanic couple should not exist between the aluminum cladding materials and the aluminum-uranium fuel. Additional laboratory testing will include immersion testing to allow characterization of the growth rate of active pits to benchmark a kinetic model. This model will form the basis for a water quality technical standard and enable prediction of the life of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuels in basin storage.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 548563
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970332--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Corrosion surveillance in spent fuel storage pools
Corrosion of aluminum alloys in a reactor disassembly basin
Corrosion of aluminum alloys in a reactor disassembly basin
Conference
·
Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1995
·
OSTI ID:468529
Corrosion of aluminum alloys in a reactor disassembly basin
Conference
·
Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991
·
OSTI ID:6844840
Corrosion of aluminum alloys in a reactor disassembly basin
Conference
·
Mon Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1992
·
OSTI ID:10104906