Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Corrosion evaluation of two processes for chemical decontamination of BWR structural materials

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6198802

The effects of dilute chemical decontamination on the corrosion of boiling water reactor (BWR) materials were evaluated for two commercial decontamination processes, CAN-DECON LND-101A and LOMI. Laboratory coupons of three key BWR structural materials - sensitized Type 304 stainless steel, Inconel 600, and pressure vessel low alloy steel - were studied for both processes. Pipe welds with field CAN-DECON decontamination in operating BWR plants also evaluated. Decontaminated surface morphologies were examined to assess the corrosion phenomenon during decontamination processing, and stress corrosion cracking tests were conducted to assess the degradation of intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) resistance in post-decontamination BWR service. It was found that deep intergranular attack (IGA), observed in the lightly prefilmed and heavily sensitized stainless steel laboratory CAN-DECON processed coupons, tended to enhance IGSCC in BWR water. However, shallow IGA and dense, shallow pits found in the very heavily prefilmed but somewhat less sensitized in-plant CAN-DECON processed pipe welds did not result in detrimental effects on IGSCC resistance as measured in constant extension rate tensile (CERT) test specimens from the pipe. The laboratory CAN-DECON process solvents contained less dissolved ferric ions than the in-plant process solvent. 13 refs., 43 figs.

Research Organization:
General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (USA). Nuclear System Technology Operation
OSTI ID:
6198802
Report Number(s):
EPRI-NP-4356; ON: TI86920097
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English