Mechanism for the Acid Corrosion Behavior of Neutron-Irradiated Uranium Available to Purchase

Neutron-irradiated uranium (e.g., a reactor fuel rod) dissolves more rapidly in nitric acid than does depleted, unirradiated uranium. In sulfuric acid, however, the two materials corrode at almost the same rate. These unusual corrosion characteristics have been investigated by electrochemical and corrosion measurements on uranium-fissium alloys, which chemically simulate the irradiated material through the addition of stable nucleides of the fission products. The study has shown that these unusual effects are related to surface enrichment of noble metal fission products during corrosive attack.