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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Corrosion research of alloys for use in nuclear waste disposal canisters

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6567772
All tests involving the corrosion behavior of TiCode-12 (Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni) indicate that this alloy is a suitable choice for the containment of nuclear wastes. Although cracking was observed under conditions of hydrogen embrittlement, and pitting occurred in aggressive media, the conditions which produce these two failure modes represented severe overtests and are not expected in a repository. Both Mo and Ni increase the degree of corrosion resistance of Ti alloys. Mo changes the nature of the oxide, while Ni forms intermetallic precipitates which, through galvanic coupling, polarize the Ti into the passive region. All alternate alloys tested (including cast iron) exhibit acceptable corrosion behavior relative to their role as backup canister materials. In the case of cast iron, the material provides for a corrosion allowance design in contrast to the corrosion resistant design offered by Ti alloys. The effects of gamma irradiation still need to be adequately characterized. Research on such effects is underway at Sandia and at the University of Minnesota. 11 references, 5 figures, 1 table.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6567772
Report Number(s):
SAND-83-2372C; CONF-841120-1; ON: DE84006292
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English