Corrosion kinetics under high pressure of steam of pure zirconium and zirconium alloys followed by in situ thermogravimetry

A new experimental thermogravimetric device has been installed to study in situ the corrosion behaviour of zirconium alloys under high pressure of steam. Corrosion tests up to 5MPa of steam pressure have been performed on two materials, pure zirconium and Zircaloy-4 (Zy4), at around 415°C. The rate-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials 2012-07, Vol.426 (1-3), p.148-159
Main Authors: Dali, Yacoub, Tupin, Marc, Bossis, Philippe, Pijolat, Michèle, Wouters, Yves, Jomard, François
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Chemical Sciences
Controled nuclear fusion plants
Corrosion
Corrosion tests
Diffusion
Diffusion rate
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Exact sciences and technology
Fission nuclear power plants
Fuels
Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy
Material chemistry
Nuclear fuels
Oxides
Reaction kinetics
Zirconium
Zirconium base alloys
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Summary:A new experimental thermogravimetric device has been installed to study in situ the corrosion behaviour of zirconium alloys under high pressure of steam. Corrosion tests up to 5MPa of steam pressure have been performed on two materials, pure zirconium and Zircaloy-4 (Zy4), at around 415°C. The rate-limiting step assumption was experimentally verified on Zy4. Unlike pure zirconium, its oxidation rate is not dependent on steam pressure. The experimental result obtained on this material is consistent with an oxygen vacancy diffusion rate-limiting step. For pure zirconium, the kinetic law is nearly linear during the corrosion process, which leads to propose an interface reaction rate-limiting step. Moreover, according to the isotope exchange experiments, the oxygen diffusion in the oxide formed on pure zirconium under high pressure of steam is very fast compared to that in the oxide of Zy4, which supports the thermogravimetric results. Finally, the impact of the SPPs on the corrosion resistance is briefly discussed in the last part of this paper from photoelectrochemical results.
ISSN:0022-3115
1873-4820
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2012.03.030