Passive Dissolution and Localized Corrosion of Alloy 22 High-Level Waste Container Weldments

1999 ◽  
Vol 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Dunn ◽  
G. A. Cragnolino ◽  
N. Sridhar
1994 ◽  
Vol 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narasi Sridhar ◽  
Darrell Dunn ◽  
Gustavo Cragnolino

AbstractLocalized corrosion in aqueous environments forms an important bounding condition for the performance assessment of high-level waste (HLW) container materials. A predictive methodology using repassivation potential is examined in this paper. It is shown, based on long-term (continuing for over 11 months) testing of alloy 825, that repassivation potential of deep pits or crevices is a conservative and robust parameter for the prediction of localized corrosion. In contrast, initiation potentials measured by short-term tests are non-conservative and highly sensitive to several surface and environmental factors. Corrosion data from various field tests and plant equipment performance are analyzed in terms of the applicability of repassivation potential. The applicability of repassivation potential for predicting the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and intergranular corrosion in chloride containing environments is also examined.


1993 ◽  
Vol 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Walton ◽  
Narasi Sridhar ◽  
Gustavo Cragnolino ◽  
Tony Torng ◽  
Prasad Nair

ABSTRACTOne of the requirements for the performance of waste packages prescribed in 10CFR 60.113 is that the high level waste must be “substantially completely” contained for a minimum period of 300 to 1000 years. During this period, the radiation and thermal conditions in the engineered barrier system and the near-field environment are dominated by fission product decay. In the present U.S design of the engineered barrier system, the outer container plays a dominant role in maintaining radionuclide containment. A quantitative methodology for analyzing the performance of the container is described in this paper. This methodology enables prediction of the evolution of the waste package environment in terms of temperature fields, stability of liquid water on the container surface, and concentration of aggressive ions such as chloride. The initiation and propagation of localized corrosion is determined by the corrosion potential of the container material and critical potentials for localized corrosion. The coiTOsion potential is estimated from the kinetics of the anodic and cathodic reactions including oxygen diffusion through scale layers formed on the container surface. The methodology described is applicable to a wide range of metals, alloys and environmental conditions.


2000 ◽  
Vol 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.A. Cragnolino ◽  
D.S. Dunn ◽  
Y.-M. Pan ◽  
O. Pensado

ABSTRACTAlloy 22 is the material preferred by the U.S. Department of Energy for the waste package outer container for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste at the proposed site in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Alloy 22 is considered to be extremely resistant to various modes of aqueous corrosion over broad ranges of temperature, pH, and concentration of anionic and oxidizing species. Uniform corrosion under passive dissolution conditions, localized corrosion in the form of crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking are discussed on the basis of experimental results obtained with mill annealed, thermally treated, and welded specimens using electrochemical techniques. The approach developed for long-term performance prediction, including the use of empirically derived parameters for assessing localized corrosion and the modeling of the passive dissolution behavior, is described.


2002 ◽  
Vol 757 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rivera-Feliciano ◽  
T. Bloomer ◽  
T. Ahn ◽  
O. Pensado

ABSTRACTAn important attribute of the high-level waste (HLW) disposal program in the United States (U.S.) is the estimated long life of waste packages (WPs). The outer container of the WP is proposed to be constructed of a nickel-based alloy, Alloy 22 (58Ni-21Cr-14Mo-3W-4Fe), which is highly corrosion resistant. Under nominal conditions of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, WPs are anticipated to have a long life because of their extremely slow uniform corrosion rate. The technical basis for this expected long life of geological scale is still subject of discussion. In this paper, the NRC Total-system Performance Assessment (TPA) Code is used to evaluate uncertainties associated with the WP performance within a 10,000-year period. Early WP failure may occur due to localized corrosion or high frequency of manufacturing defects. Localized corrosion may occur under mixed salt deposits on the WP surface at temperatures above 100°C. High frequencies of WP juvenile failure are considered to account for the limited industrial experience with Alloy 22 and uncertainty in the long-term performance of Alloy 22 as container material. The localized corrosion and the high frequency of manufacturing defects were simulated with the TPA code by lowering the critical relative humidity for the onset of aqueous corrosion, RHc, and increasing the fraction of initially defective WPs. By sampling RHc from various normal distributions, the mean annual total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) approached 1 mrem/year at 10,000 years. Assuming a fixed fraction of initially defective WPs (1 percent), the mean annual TEDE approached 0.07 mrem/year at 10,000 years.


1999 ◽  
Vol 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Farmer ◽  
R. D. Mccright ◽  
J. C. Estill ◽  
S. R. Gordon

AbstractAlloy 22 [UNS N06022] is now being considered for construction of high level waste containers to be emplaced at Yucca Mountain and elsewhere. In essence, this alloy is 20.0–22.5% Cr, 12.5–14.5% Mo, 2.0–6.0% Fe, 2.5–3.5% W, with the balance being Ni. Other impurity elements include P, Si, S, Mn, Co and V. Cobalt may be present at a maximum concentration of 2.5%. Detailed mechanistic models have been developed to account for the corrosion of Alloy 22 surfaces in crevices that will inevitably form. Such occluded areas experience substantial decreases in pH, with corresponding elevations in chloride concentration. Experimental work has been undertaken to validate the crevice corrosion model, including parallel studies with 304 stainless steel.


1990 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Sridhar ◽  
G. Cragnolino ◽  
W. Machowski

ABSTRACTThe effect of environmental variables on the localized corrosion behavior of alloy 825 is examined in this paper. Cyclic, potentiodynamic polarization tests based on a two-level, full factorial experimental design were conducted. An index incorporating both the visual and scanning electron microscope examinations of localized corrosion and the electrochemical parameters was used for the statistical analysis. The analysis showed that chloride is the single most important promoter of localized corrosion, while nitrate was the single most important inhibitor. Fluoride was a weak inhibitor, especially at low chloride levels. Sulfate was a weak promoter, especially at high chloride levels. Temperature did not have a significant effect within the chloride levels examined. Separate experiments indicated that silicon, added as metasilicate, did not have any significant effect on localized corrosion. The adverse effect of chloride was observed at concentrations as low as 100 ppm. Addition of H2O2 increased the corrosion potential of alloy 825 to a value above the repassivation potential observed in the 300 ppm chloride solution.


2002 ◽  
Vol 757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana L. Wong ◽  
David V. Fix ◽  
John C. Estill ◽  
R. Daniel McCright ◽  
Raúl B. Rebak

ABSTRACTAlloy 22 (N06022) is the candidate material for the corrosion resistant, outer barrier of the nuclear waste container. Two of the potential corrosion degradation modes of the container are uniform corrosion and localized corrosion. A testing program is under way at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to determine the susceptibility of Alloy 22 to these two forms of corrosion using immersion tests. Metallic coupons are being exposed to several electrolyte solutions simulating concentrated underground water from pH 3 to 10 at 60°C and 90°C. This paper describes the results obtained after more than a five-year exposure of 122 specimens to the testing electrolyte solutions. Results show little general corrosion and the absence of localized corrosion. The maximum general corrosion rate was 23 nm/yr.


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