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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Deformation band corrosion as a result of applied stress and cold-work in 304 stainless steel in simulated pressurized water reactor primary water conditions

Stainless steels like 304SS are commonly used in pressurized water reactor primary water environments due to their excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). However, SCC susceptibility has been observed in cold-worked 304SS. Cold-rolling introduces a high density of defects, such as deformation bands or dislocations, into the microstructure; applied stress, even if macroscopically below the yield stress, can result in regions with high localized stresses. Cold-worked and non-cold-worked samples were exposed to 360 °C simulated PWR primary water for 1500 h with and without active loading. Corrosion susceptibility of dislocations and deformation bands induced by cold-rolling and/or applied stress was studied using high-resolution (analytical) transmission electron microscopy. Deformation bands were generated in all specimens examined in the study. Penetrative oxidation was observed in some deformation bands in each specimen. The depth of penetrative deformation band oxidation frequently exceeded the depth of grain boundary oxidation in all specimens. However, deformation band oxides generally were narrowly confined to the deformation band plane. Highly Ni-rich regions were observed beyond all oxidation fronts. Surface oxides were thicker in the specimens exposed under active loading. In conclusion, the implications of these findings at surfaces for deformation bands intersecting stress corrosion crack paths are discussed.

EFTEM↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanoscale serration characteristics of additively manufactured superalloys

Structural elements made of nickel-based superalloys usually operate at high temperatures. Many surface failure mechanisms such as creep, fatigue, fretting fatigue, corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking start from the surface. Thus, studying the surface mechanical properties and deformation behavior of materials is vital in order to draw a correlation between the surface properties and failures. Herein, a nanoindentation technique was implemented to characterize surface properties of a widely used additively manufactured (AM) superalloy, i.e., Inconel 625. The specimens were tested in a range of temperatures in a vacuum chamber. Serrated plastic flow characterized by pop-in events during nanoindentation, known as Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect, was observed in all three tested elevated temperatures. This phenomenon depicts itself as bursts of plasticity in the loading section of the load-displacement curves. These bursts were studied comprehensively to explore incipient plasticity. Hertzian contact mechanics were implemented to extract the maximum shear stress beneath the indenter from the pop-in loads. The results show that the initial pop-in load increases as the temperature increases. The average initial pop-in load increases by almost four times from 300 °C to 650 °C. This was attributed to the formation of strengthening precipitates. The average size of the serrations and the magnitude of dislocation nucleation increase from 300 °C to 500 °C and decrease from 500 °C to 650 °C. Finally, the serrations are attributed to the dislocation generation and movement as well as their interaction with the solute atoms and precipitates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Accident tolerant FeCrAl fuel cladding: current status towards commercialization

FeCrAl alloys are rapidly becoming a mature concept for accident tolerant fuel applications. The FeCrAl material class has shown excellent oxidation resistance in high-temperature steam environments, a key aspect of any accident tolerant cladding concept, while also being corrosion resistant, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistant, irradiation-induced swelling resistant, weldable, and formable. Current research efforts are focused on design, development and commercial scaling of advanced FeCrAl alloys including large-scale thin-walled seamless tube production followed by a broad spectrum of degradation evaluations in both normal and off-normal conditions. Included in this discussion will be theoretical analysis of the alloying principles and rules, alloy composition design, and overview of the most recent empirical database on possible degradation phenomena for FeCrAl alloys. The results are derived from extensive in-pile and out-of-pile experiments and form the basis for near-term deployment of a lead-test rod and/or assembly within a commercially operating nuclear power plant.

Field, Kevin G.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Handbook of the Materials Properties of FeCrAl Alloys For Nuclear Power Production Applications

FeCrAl alloys are a class of alloys that have seen increased interest for nuclear power applications including as accident tolerant fuel cladding, structural components for fast fission reactors, and as first wall and blanket structures for fusion reactors. FeCrAl alloys are under consideration for these applications due to their inherent corrosion resistance, stress corrosion cracking resistance, radiation-induced swelling resistance, and high temperature oxidation resistance. A substantial amount of research effort has been completed to design, develop, and begin commercial scaling of FeCrAl alloys for nuclear power applications over the past half a century. These efforts have led to the development of an extensive database on material properties and process knowledge for FeCrAl alloys but not within a consolidated format. The following report is the first edition of a materials handbook to consolidate the state-of-the-art on FeCrAl alloys for nuclear power applications. This centralized database focuses solely on wrought FeCrAl alloys, oxide dispersion strengthened alloys, although discussed in brief, are not covered. Where appropriate, recommendations for applications of the data is provided and current knowledge gaps are identified.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Handbook on the Material Properties of FeCrAl Alloys for Nuclear Power Production Applications (FY18 Version: Revision 1)

FeCrAl alloys are a class of alloys that have seen increased interest for nuclear power applications including accident tolerant fuel cladding, structural components for fast fission reactors, and as first wall and blanket structures for fusion reactors. FeCrAl alloys are under consideration for these applications due to their inherent corrosion resistance, stress corrosion cracking resistance, radiation-induced swelling resistance, and high temperature oxidation resistance. A substantial amount of research effort has been completed to design, develop, and begin commercial scaling of FeCrAl alloys for nuclear power applications over the past half a century. These efforts have led to the development of an extensive database on material properties and process knowledge for FeCrAl alloys but not within a consolidated format. The following report is the first edition of a materials handbook to consolidate the current state of knowledge on FeCrAl alloys for nuclear power applications. This centralized database focuses solely on wrought FeCrAl alloys, oxide dispersion strengthened alloys, although discussed in brief, are not covered. Where appropriate, recommendations for applications of the data is provided and current knowledge gaps are identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Corrosion Evaluation for Tank 241-AP-106 Re-purposing

Tank AP-106 will be an integral part of the Direct Feed Low Activity Waste (DF-LAW) activity. This tank is an underground, carbon steel, double shell tank (DST). Before it can be utilized, the Cs-137 concentration levels in the waste must be reduced significantly. The AP-106 re-purposing process will manage normal waste tank additions procedures such that waste acceptance criteria objectives for Cs-137 removal are achieved. As this process was being developed, concerns regarding tank integrity during and after the process to Tank AP-106 and associated tanks (i.e., AP-102, AN-101, and AP-108) were addressed. The degradation mechanisms identified include: general and pitting corrosion, caustic stress corrosion cracking, galvanic corrosion, and microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC). Recommendations were provided to minimize the exposure of the tank to corrosive conditions (see Section 6.0). These recommendations included chemistry adjustments at defined steps in the process that will maintain the waste in compliance with the corrosion control program. Additionally, sampling and inspection (see Sections 6.0 and 7.0, respectively) recommendations that will assess the final condition of the tank environment and the tank were presented. The greatest risk for this process involves the handling of large quantities of Columbia River water (i.e., greater than 450,000 gallons) within the AP-106, associated tanks and supporting infrastructure (i.e., transfer line piping). As long as this water is blended into the supernate in a timely fashion, and the waste is adjusted appropriately with corrosion inhibitors, the final condition is expected to be within compliance. Recommendations were also made to address process interruptions that could result in exposure of the tank walls to aggressive conditions.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Process Image Analysis using Big Data, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision

Within the DOE complex, 3013 canisters are used to store Pu-bearing waste. Wall penetration due to corrosion, specifically stress corrosion cracking, is considered to be the most likely cause of failure over the 50-year lifetime of the canisters. This project has 2 objectives: The first is the development of machine learning algorithms to identify the presence of corrosion from a very large set of images generated by laser confocal microscope scanning of 3013 canister used to store Pu oxides. This portion of the LDRD constitutes image analysis of a metal surface for the presence of corrosion. The image processing algorithms developed for this project will provide a suitable basis for analysis of other types of corrosion data, which can be produced in vast quantities using modern devices. The second component of the LDRD consists of the development of machine learning algorithms that obtain molecular mechanics force-fields from ab-initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for corrosive attack by chlorides on 304L or 316L stainless steel. The goal of this latter component is to determine means for mitigating corrosion on a fundamental level, including coatings, welding methods, metal composition, etc. Force-field modeling is necessary for this endeavor because the incipience and progression of corrosion is the governed by molecular structures, grain boundaries, dislocations and surface structures represented by large numbers of atoms. Although DFT calculations are extremely adept at describing molecular scale processes, they are computationally expensive making them ill-suited for calculations of more than several hundred atoms, especially for the repeated applications inherent in material design. Fortunately, force-field methods provide an avenue for viable molecular-scale calculations involving the numbers of atoms involved in corrosion processes. The accuracy of the force-field calculations depends strongly on the accuracy of the force-field model, which is extremely difficult and time-consuming to derive from either data or ab-initio calculations. The use of machine learning algorithms has the potential to make the calculation of force-fields much more efficient but has not been explored significantly for corrosion processes. If shown to be viable, the technique would have wide -ranging impact on design of corrosion resistant materials and on the mitigation of corrosion in existing process systems.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Corrosion-Resistant Coatings for Mitigation and Repair of Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Canisters

This report summarizes the results of a literature survey on coatings and surface treatments that are used to provide corrosion protection for exposed metal surfaces. The coatings are discussed in the context of being used on stainless steel spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canisters for potential prevention or repair of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. The report summarizes the properties of different coating classes, including the mechanisms of protection, their physical properties, and modes of degradation (thermal, chemical, radiological). Also discussed are the current standard technologies for application of the coatings, including necessary surface pretreatments (degreasing, rust removal, grinding) and their effects on coating adhesion and performance. The coatings are also classified according their possible use for in situ repair; ex situ repair, requiring removal from the overpack; and ex situ prevention, or application prior to fuel loading to provide corrosion protection over the lifetime of the canister.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Draft Geologic Disposal Requirements Basis for STAD Specification

This document provides supporting technical rationale in draft form as input for: STAD Performance Specification Requirements Rationale (planned to be issued as FCRD-NFST-2015- 000106). The supporting rationale addresses those parts of the storage, transportation and disposal (STAD) canister performance specification that pertain to geologic disposal. These parts include service lifetime, repository thermal performance, postclosure criticality, and materials selection. Each draft performance specification is presented, and those pertaining to geologic disposal are elaborated with brief sections labeled Rationale. More detail is provided in appendices that address: long-term performance of borated stainless steel, use of borated stainless steel in existing designs, recommendations for additional corrosion studies, stress corrosion cracking of canister shell materials, and a generic postclosure safety case for STAD canisters.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Refinement of Salt Dissolution Inhibitor Requirements (Interim Report)

At Savannah River Site, High-Level Waste is stored in below-grade carbon steel tanks. This waste in part consists of sludge, salt cake, and/or supernate. Preparation of this waste for future processing involves dissolution of the salt cake layer. The salt dissolution process can create conditions that leave the carbon steel tanks susceptible to localized corrosion. The salt to be dissolved contains high concentrations of nitrate, that once released, create an environment that may be conducive to pitting corrosion or stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of carbon steel. The salt dissolution process also liberates interstitial liquid trapped between the salt crystals. This liquid is initially high in nitrite and hydroxide concentration. High pH and greater ratios of nitrite to nitrate act as inhibitors to minimize corrosion of carbon steel in high nitrate environments. However, as dissolution proceeds, the concentration of nitrate increases while the hydroxide and nitrite concentration of the interstitial liquid depletes and becomes insufficient to prevent the onset of corrosion attack. While tank blending and the addition of inhibitors are used to ensure adequate concentrations of hydroxide and nitrite during normal operation, this is not desirable during salt dissolution as it can reduce process efficiency and increase the amount of waste that needs processed.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

FY2022 Status Report: Cold Spray for Canister SCC Mitigation and Repair

This progress report describes work performed during FY22 at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to assess the corrosion performance of cold spray coatings to enable optimization of cold spray for the purposes of mitigation and/or repair of potentially susceptible regions, corrosion, or stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in austenitic stainless steel for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage. Of particular concern is SCC, by which a through-wall crack could potentially form in a canister outer wall over time intervals that may be shorter than possible dry storage times. In FY21, initial corrosion explorations of cold spray coating were evaluated and in FY22, an expanded set of cold spray coatings with in-depth analysis of post-exposure accelerated testing was explored. Additionally, relevant atmospheric exposure testing was carried out and initial results are presented herein. The corrosion attack from the accelerated testing and more realistic atmospheric exposures environments were compared to identify potentially deleterious factors for corrosion as well as help to understand the applicability of accelerated testing for cold spray optimization. This initial analysis will help to enable optimization of the corrosion resistance cold spray, one of the more promising coating and repair techniques, for potential application in an SNF environment. Learnings from both are summarized, and implications and future work are presented in this report.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Refinement of Pitting Factor Basis to Support the Corrosion Control Program (Interim Report)

At Savannah River Site (SRS), High-Level Waste is stored in below-grade tanks constructed of carbon steel. This waste is composed of sludge, salt cake, and/or supernate. In part, preparation of this waste for future processing involves dissolution of the salt cake layer. The salt dissolution process can create conditions that leave the carbon steel tanks susceptible to a number of corrosion processes. The salt to be dissolved contains high concentrations of nitrate, that once released, create an environment that may be conducive to pitting corrosion or stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of carbon steel. Additionally, during the salt dissolution process, in the absence of mixing, stratification of the supernatant liquid may occur. This can result in less dense, more dilute waste layers occurring higher in the tank. In these more dilute waste layers, the susceptibility to localized corrosion could potentially differ from that of the more concentrated salt solutions evaluated in previous testing, as the amount of inhibiting and aggressive species, not just the ratios, can affect susceptibility. Evaluation of the susceptibility to localized corrosion in these more dilute waste chemistries could provide insight into the amount of inhibitors required to effectively mitigate pitting corrosion in stagnant salt dissolution environments, as well as other tank farm operations involving dilute waste streams.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Long-Term Performance of Reference Electrodes in Alkaline Radioactive Waste Storage Environments

Accurate measurements of corrosion potential are important for assessing the likelihood of internal localized corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of carbon steel tanks used for storing radioactive wastes. Reference electrodes in underground radioactive waste storage tanks are challenging to deploy, and more difficult to extract and replace frequently due to radiological exposure and disposal constraints. Hence, electrodes that exhibit stable performance over long periods of immersion in these waste environments are desirable. The present study evaluates the stability of reference electrodes used in radioactive waste storage tanks over a much longer period than previously studied. Long-term tests on Ag/AgCl and Hg/HgO reference electrodes were performed in nonradioactive simulants formulated from wastes stored at the Hanford site. Electrode degradation, which was studied by various in situ and ex situ evaluation techniques, was correlated to changes in electrode fill chemistry from waste intrusion via the porous frit junction. An intentional contamination study was performed to better understand and predict contamination effects on electrode potential drift.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2017

Characterization of SCC Initiation Precursors in Cold-Worked Alloy 690

Due to its superior resistance to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), high Cr, Ni-base Alloy 690 is now commonly used in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Even though highly cold-worked (CW) Alloy 690 has been shown to be susceptible to SCC crack growth in PWR primary water environments, an open question remains whether SCC initiation was possible for these materials under constant load test conditions. Testing has been performed on a series of CW alloy 690 CRDM tubing specimens at constant load for up to 9,220 hours in 360°C simulated PWR primary water. A companion paper will discuss the overall testing approach and describe results on different alloy 690 heats and cold work levels. The focus of the current paper is to illustrate the use of focused ion beam (FIB), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the high-resolution investigation of precursor damage and intergranular (IG) crack nucleation in these specimens. Three-dimensional (3D) FIB/SEM imaging has been conducted on a series of grain boundary (GB) damage precursors, such as IG small cavities, local corrosion and even shallow cracks observed at the specimen surface. Contrast variations and EDS mapping were used to distinguish oxides, carbides and cavities from the matrix material. Nanometer-sized cavities were observed associated with GB carbides in the highly CW specimens. Shallow IG cracks were present in the 30%CW specimens and exhibited oxidized crack flanks and a higher density of cavities ahead of the oxide front in all cases. The shape and distribution of carbides and cavities in the plane of the cracked GBs was analyzed in 3D to gain a mechanistic understanding of the processes that may be leading to crack initiation in highly CW alloy 690.

3D FIB/SEM↗
DOE OSTI2013

GRAIN BOUNDARY CHARACTERIZATION OF ALLOY 600 PRIOR TO AND AFTER CORROSION BY ATOM PROBE TOMOGRAPHY AND TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Grain boundary composition can play a critical role in the susceptibility of a material to intergranular (IG) corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Detailed analytical observations of grain boundaries have been obtained in nickel-base alloy 600 prior to and after corrosion in simulated PWR primary water environments with atom probe tomography (APT) and analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM). Several examples are shown to identify key grain boundary segregants and the effect of proximity to IG Cr carbides on interfacial compositions prior to exposure in high-temperature PWR primary water. Examples are also given to describe the effect of corrosion on grain boundaries. Alloy 600 exhibits significant IG attack consisting primarily of nanocrystalline MO-phase oxides and limited Cr2O3 precipitates. The grain boundary ahead of the IG oxidation front exhibits depletion of Cr and other oxidizing species. No evidence for solid-state grain boundary ingress of oxygen has been discovered.

Schreiber, Daniel K.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Hanford single-shell tanks leak causes and locations - 15509

Historically 67 assumed and known leaking tanks in the single-shell tank (SST) system were identified at the Hanford Site. The US DOE, Washington River Protection Solutions LLC., and the State of Washington, Department of Ecology identified 25 of the 67 tanks as likely having had liner leaks by a comprehensive review of current and historical data. The remaining tanks are those with potential leaks from sources other than liner failures such as overfilling the tanks or the failure of process lines connecting SSTs. The location of the leaks was determined, based largely on logging radiological data from dry wells installed around the tank and/or radiological data from laterals installed under select tanks. The dry wells and laterals provide the best indication of the vicinity of the leak location, but not necessarily the exact location of the leak. Twenty of the 25 liner leaks appear to have occurred at or near the bottom of the tanks. Many of the tanks appeared to have multiple leak locations. Leak locations could not be determined for all tanks with the available data. Three of the tanks showed apparent sidewall leaks. Potential causes for liner leaks that were evaluated included tank design features, tank construction conditions, waste temperature, tank waste chemistry conducive to different types of corrosion (uniform corrosion, nitrate induced stress corrosion cracking, pitting, crevice, and liquid-air interface corrosion), and bulges in the tank bottom. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Feasibility Study for Cathodic Protection of Waste Tanks at Hanford

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation site contains approximately 211 million liters of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste arising from nuclear weapons production, beginning with World War II, and continuing through the Cold War. The waste is stored in 177 carbon-steel underground storage tanks, of which 149 are single-shell tanks (SSTs) and the remaining are double-shell tanks (DSTs). The mission of an ongoing River Protection Project is to retrieve the waste from the underground storage tanks and then treat and immobilize (i.e., vitrify) it for disposal. Waste from the older SSTs is being progressively retrieved into the newer DSTs for storage pending treatment, immobilization, and disposal. Waste chemistry controls are in place to mitigate general corrosion, pitting corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and minimize corrosion risks to the carbon steel tank liners of DST at the Hanford Site. The chemistry control program focuses on preserving liner integrity while balancing the need for caustic/nitrite additions that have large downstream impacts on vitrification. Some of the DSTs store salt cake or sludge waste layers contain out-of-specification interstitial liquids that contact the primary tank bottom or sidewall. Remediation of such layers through chemical additions is not practical. At the present time, the most significant leak integrity concern at Hanford is for corrosion of the tank bottoms of DSTs where the solids layer is out of specification because of hydroxide ion depletion and consequently, pH values that are less than 12. Cathodic protection (CP) has been proposed as a possible way to protect the liners of such tanks against corrosion. The objective of this project was to investigate the feasibility of applying CP to Hanford DSTs to mitigate internal corrosion of the carbon steel tank primary liners. The scope of the project included (1) a literature review on the application of CP to storage tank systems, in general, and to waste tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford, (2) a review of the finite element analysis (FEA) model recently developed to evaluate potentials for a DST, and (3) the development of a boundary element analysis (BEA) model for CP for a DST. Tank AN-107, one of the Hanford DSTs, was selected for this work because (1) the bottommost waste layer in the tank is out-of-specification, and (2) electrochemical and resistivity data, based on recent waste sampling and testing, are available for this tank. The overarching conclusion of this study is that, based on the available information, it is feasible to apply CP to mitigate internal corrosion of the primary liners of the Hanford DSTs. However, significant additional information and work are required before a CP system can be designed. Recommendations for next steps in the design of the CP system will be presented.

WIERSMA, BRUCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of Heat Input on Microstructure, Residual Stress, and Corrosion Resistance of UNS 32101 Lean Duplex Stainless Steel Weld Joints

In the present work, the influence of heat input on phase balance, residual stresses and corrosion resistance of UNS 32101 lean duplex stainless steel welds has been investigated. Three weldment types were obtained with different heat inputs by varying welding current, using gas tungsten arc welding process. The results revealed that increasing heat input caused a significant microstructural evolution with high austenite fraction in weld metals. The residual stresses were measured on the surface and through the sample’s thickness by x-ray diffraction technique based on Sin{sup 2}ψ method. The results showed an inversely proportional relationship between the heat input and the compressive residual stresses on the surface and through the thickness of the weld metal. Potentiodynamic polarization tests of the different welded joints evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution exhibited high corrosion resistance of the weld metal produced with the low heat input.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗