Irradiation Corrosion of Waste Package Container Materials in Air/Steam Environment

Conference · Wed Apr 17 04:00:00 EDT 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5006/C1992-92072· OSTI ID:6085003

Anantatmula, R. P. ^[1]; Colburn, R. P. ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

A set of corrosion tests of the candidate waste container materials for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) was conducted in a moist air environment simulating the repository preclosure condition. The tests were performed over a four-month period with air, saturated with moisture at 50°C, passing through test chambers holding specimens at 150°C and 250°C. The test materials included A27 cast carbon steel, A387 ferritic steel, oxygen-free copper and cupronickel 90-10. Each material was tested both with and without basalt/bentonite packing material adjacent to the specimens. For each combination of material, temperature and packing condition, tests were conducted at 10,000 R/hr and 100 R/hr radiation levels. All four materials tested at 250°C showed corrosion rates as much as an order of magnitude higher in the high radiation field when compared with similar tests without irradiation. Typically, the corrosion rates were lower at the lower dose rates, but were significantly higher at 100 R/hr compared to the case without radiation. At 150°C only pure copper showed enhanced corrosion due to gamma radiation. The presence of packing material adjacent to the specimens had no consistent effect on corrosion rate at either temperature.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930
• OSTI ID: 6085003
• Report Number(s): WHC-SA-1391; CONF-9104326--1; ON: DE92004543
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
360106 -- Metals & Alloys-- Radiation Effects
ALLOYS
BASALT
CARBON STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTAINERS
COPPER
CORROSION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
GAMMA RADIATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LOW ALLOY STEELS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MOISTURE
NICKEL ALLOYS
NICKEL BASE ALLOYS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
STEEL-ASTM-A387
STEELS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
container material
irradiation corrosion
moist air
moisture film
packing material
radiation level