Gamma radiation effects on tritium permeation through stainless steel

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Nucl. Technol./Fusion; (United States)

OSTI ID:6025664

Longhurst, G R; Deis, G A

Experiments were conducted in the gamma irradiation facility of the Advanced Test Reactor at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to determine whether gamma radiation has an appreciable effect on the normal permeation of tritium through stainless steel. Low concentrations of HT were allowed to diffuse through a 0.071-cm-thick tube of 316 stainless steel, heated between 590 and 733 K. Gamma irradiation intensities were varied from 1.3 to 155 C/kgXh (5 X 10/sup 3/ to 6 X 10/sup 5/ R/h). Ion chamber detectors were used to measure tritium concentrations on both sides of the tube. It was found that in the presence of excess H/sub 2/, the higher gamma irradiation intensity exhibited slightly higher permeation rates of tritium. When the walls of the permeation tube and the HT were highly oxidized, the permeation rates were much more scattered, and the gamma irradiation seemed to have no observable effect. It was concluded that the effect of gamma radiation on tritium permeation through stainless steel in a fusion reactor environment should be small. However, the relative ease with which tritium from HTO was seen to permeate the material raises questions regarding tritium management in breeder blankets.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc./Fusion Technology, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415
• OSTI ID: 6025664
• Report Number(s): CONF-830406-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Nucl. Technol./Fusion; (United States) Journal Volume: 4:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360106* -- Metals & Alloys-- Radiation Effects
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
ALLOYS
ATR REACTOR
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DIFFUSION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FIRST WALL
GAMMA RADIATION
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HEAVY WATER
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROGEN TRITIDE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
IRRADIATION
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES