Investigations of corrosion-product behaviour under a variety of nuclear reactor coolant conditions

Abstract

A non-stoichiometric nickel ferrite (Ni0:6Fe2:4O4) and two types of magnetite (Fe3O4) have been investigated under coolant conditions similar to those found in three different nuclear reactor designs. An impinging jet test section was placed within a recirculating water loop to measure dissolution of these corrosion-products, while a packed bed test section was used in separate experiments to assess changes in chemical composition and phase without the high mass transfer and flow patterns of an impinging jet. Findings in this work can be used to limit radioactive fields in nuclear generating stations by minimizing the release of metal species into bulk coolant that may transport those species through a reactor's core. The synthesis of magnetite from steels of varying chemical composition can lead to work that may improve corrosion mitigation in nuclear environments by developing an understanding of how minor alterations in chemical composition may improve the structural integrity of corrosion-products.