Irradiation-Accelerated Corrosion of Reactor Core Materials. Final Report

Jiao, Zhujie¹  Was, Gary¹  Bartels, David² 

[1] Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States);Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)

关键词: STRESS CORROSION;    REACTOR CORES;    IRRADIATION;    WATER MODERATED REACTORS;    CRACKS;    MATERIALS;    WATER COOLED REACTORS;    RADIATION FLUX;    COOLANTS;    FILMS;    REPAIR;    CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1178442
RP-ID  :  DOE/NEUP--10-677
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1178442
Others  :  Other: 10-677
Others  :  TRN: US1500399

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

This project aims to understand how radiation accelerates corrosion of reactor core materials. The combination of high temperature, chemically aggressive coolants, a high radiation flux and mechanical stress poses a major challenge for the life extension of current light water reactors, as well as the success of most all GenIV concepts. Of these four drivers, the combination of radiation and corrosion places the most severe demands on materials, for which an understanding of the fundamental science is simply absent. Only a few experiments have been conducted to understand how corrosion occurs under irradiation, yet the limited data indicates that the effect is large; irradiation causes order of magnitude increases in corrosion rates. Without a firm understanding of the mechanisms by which radiation and corrosion interact in film formation, growth, breakdown and repair, the extension of the current LWR fleet beyond 60 years and the success of advanced nuclear energy systems are questionable. The proposed work will address the process of irradiation-accelerated corrosion that is important to all current and advanced reactor designs, but remains very poorly understood. An improved understanding of the role of irradiation in the corrosion process will provide the community with the tools to develop predictive models for in-reactor corrosion, and to address specific, important forms of corrosion such as irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking.