Survey of degradation modes of candidate materials for high-level radioactive-waste disposal containers
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- Science and Engineering Associates, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (USA)
Three iron- to nickel-based austenitic alloys (Types 304L and 316L stainless steels and Alloy 825) are being considered as candidate materials for the fabrication of high-level radioactive-waste containers. Waste will include fuel assemblies from reactors as well as high-level waste in borosilicate glass forms, and will be sent to the prospective repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The decay of radionuclides in the repository will result in the generation of substantial heat and in fluences of gamma radiation. Container materials may undergo any of several modes of degradation in this environment, including atmospheric oxidation; uniform aqueous phase corrosion; pitting; crevice corrosion; sensitization and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC); and transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC). This report is an analysis of data relevant to the pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the three austenitic candidate alloys. The candidates are compared in terms of their susceptibilities to these forms of corrosion. Although all three candidates have demonstrated pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride-containing environments, Alloy 825 has the greatest resistance to these types of localized corrosion (LC); such resistance is important because pits can penetrate the metal and serve as crack initiation sites. Both Types 304L and 316L stainless steels are susceptible to SCC in acidic chloride media. In contrast, SCC has not been documented in Alloy 825 under comparable conditions. Gamma radiation has been found to enhance SCC in Types 304 and 304L stainless steels, but it has no detectable effect on the resistance of Alloy 825 to SCC. Furthermore, while the effects of microbiologically induced corrosion have been observed for 300-series stainless steels, nickel-based alloys such as Alloy 825 seem to be immune to such problems. 211 refs., 49 figs., 10 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/RW
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 7025042
- Report Number(s):
- UCID-21362-Vol.3; ON: DE90006359; TRN: 90-008082
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
CONTAINERS
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STRESS CORROSION
STAINLESS STEEL-316L
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CORROSION RESISTANCE
CRACK PROPAGATION
GAMMA RADIATION
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
IRRADIATION
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEATION
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
SEAWATER
SPENT FUEL CASKS
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CASKS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HEAT RES
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LOW CA
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR17NI12MO3-L
STEEL-CR19NI10-L
STEELS
STORAGE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES
WATER
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
420204 - Engineering- Shipping Containers
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
360106 - Metals & Alloys- Radiation Effects