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

Corrosion of austenitic stainless steels in chloride-bearing Purex process streams

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7364783

Data from an extensive corrosion test program in support of the development of a carbon tetrachloride solvent flowsheet for the Purex process are recorded. Very low corrosion rates were measured throughout, including data from tests in many streams at chloride concentrations as high as 8000 ppM. The data appear to show that stainless steels of the types tested, and chloride-bearing nitric acid streams are compatible over much wider concentration ranges than hitherto suspected. The data are qualified in analysis, however, by the sporadic onset of corrosion attack in solutions containing only nitric acid and chloride ions, operating failures, and the lack of agreement with data for other similar tests. It is concluded that Purex flowsheets using carbon tetrachloride as the solvent should be closely examined to determine the eventual path of the chloride ion in the system.

Research Organization:
General Electric Co., Richland, Wash. (USA). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
OSTI ID:
7364783
Report Number(s):
HW-32878
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English