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Title: Tritium migration to the surfaces of Type 316 stainless steel; aluminum 6061; and oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper

Abstract

The migration of tritium to the surfaces of aluminum 6061, oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper (OFHC), and stainless-steel 316 from the bulk metal was studied using low-pressure Tonks–Langmuir argon plasma. The plasma is shown to be effective at removing tritium from metal surfaces in a controlled manner. Tritium is removed in decreasing quantities with successive plasma exposures, which suggests a depletion of the surface and near-surface tritium inventories. A diffusion model was developed to predict tritium migration from the bulk and its accumulation in the water layers present on the metal surface. The model reproduces the rate of tritium re-growth on the surface for all three metals and can be used to calculate the triton solubility in the water layers present on metal surfaces. The ratio of surface-to-bulk solubilities at the water-layer/bulk-metal interface uniquely determines the concentration ratio between these two media. Removing the tritium-rich water layers induces tritium to migrate from the bulk to the surface. Furthermore, this process is driven by a concentration gradient that develops in the bulk because of the perturbation on the surface.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1255755
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0001944
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Fusion Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 70; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1536-1055
Publisher:
American Nuclear Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Sharpe, M., Shmayda, W. T., and Schroder, W. U. Tritium migration to the surfaces of Type 316 stainless steel; aluminum 6061; and oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.13182/FST15-198.
Sharpe, M., Shmayda, W. T., & Schroder, W. U. Tritium migration to the surfaces of Type 316 stainless steel; aluminum 6061; and oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST15-198
Sharpe, M., Shmayda, W. T., and Schroder, W. U. 2016. "Tritium migration to the surfaces of Type 316 stainless steel; aluminum 6061; and oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST15-198. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1255755.
@article{osti_1255755,
title = {Tritium migration to the surfaces of Type 316 stainless steel; aluminum 6061; and oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper},
author = {Sharpe, M. and Shmayda, W. T. and Schroder, W. U.},
abstractNote = {The migration of tritium to the surfaces of aluminum 6061, oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper (OFHC), and stainless-steel 316 from the bulk metal was studied using low-pressure Tonks–Langmuir argon plasma. The plasma is shown to be effective at removing tritium from metal surfaces in a controlled manner. Tritium is removed in decreasing quantities with successive plasma exposures, which suggests a depletion of the surface and near-surface tritium inventories. A diffusion model was developed to predict tritium migration from the bulk and its accumulation in the water layers present on the metal surface. The model reproduces the rate of tritium re-growth on the surface for all three metals and can be used to calculate the triton solubility in the water layers present on metal surfaces. The ratio of surface-to-bulk solubilities at the water-layer/bulk-metal interface uniquely determines the concentration ratio between these two media. Removing the tritium-rich water layers induces tritium to migrate from the bulk to the surface. Furthermore, this process is driven by a concentration gradient that develops in the bulk because of the perturbation on the surface.},
doi = {10.13182/FST15-198},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1255755}, journal = {Fusion Science and Technology},
issn = {1536-1055},
number = 1,
volume = 70,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Wed May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Cited by: 6 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Tritium Retention in Hexavalent Chromate-Conversion–Coated Aluminum Alloy
journal, May 2019


Distribution of Tritium in the Near Surface of Type 316 Stainless Steel
journal, September 2019