Noble metal technique : Cuts corrosion and radiation

• Published in: Power engineering (Barrington, Ill.) Vol. 102; no. 11; pp. 84 - 92
• Main Authors: HETTIARACHCHI, S, LAW, R. J, DIAZ, T. P, MILLER, W. D, COWAN, R. L, KEITH, W, KRIEGE, L, PATHANIA, R. S
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tulsa, OK PennWell 01-11-1998; PennWell Publishing Corp; Clarion Events, Ltd
• Subjects: Analysis; Applications; Applied sciences; Boiling water reactors; Corrosion; Corrosion and anti-corrosives; Corrosion potential; Crack initiation; Degassing of metals; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Flow velocity; High temperature; Hydrogen; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Maintenance and repair; Metallurgy; Metals; Methods; Nuclear power plants; Nuclear reactors; Radiation; Repair & maintenance; Sensors; Stainless steel; Stress corrosion cracking; United States > US; Boiling water reactor; Hydrogen; Noble metal; Stress corrosion cracking; Corrosion protection; Surface treatment; Nuclear reactor
• ISSN: 0032-5961

Hydrogen water chemistry has been successfully employed to mitigate the intergranular stress corrosion cracking of boiling water reactor internals over the past decade. However, the use of elevated levels of feedwater hydrogen in the BWR results in high operating radiation dose rates due to nitrogen superscript 16 partitioning into the main steam. Recent studies have shown that the presence of noble metals on reactor internal surfaces, by alloying or by various spray techniques, could significantly reduce the hydrogen demand necessary to achieve the IGSCC protection potential of -230 mV without a radiation dose rate increase. A simple method of applying noble metal to reactor internals involves adding a noble metal compound into reactor water to cause deposition of noble metal onto contacted surfaces.