Abstract
The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of tank steel was investigated in a series of environments designed to simulate the chemistry of legacy nuclear weapons production waste being stored at the Hanford tank reservation. Tests consisted of both slow strain rate tests using tensile specimens and dynamic (increasing) stress intensity tests using compact tension specimens. Based on the work conducted, SCC occurs in two potential ranges depending on the main chemistry of the waste simulant (i.e., nitrate-based or carbonate-based). Though the results indicate that SCC in the tanks may be unlikely, diligent mitigation and corrosion potential monitoring efforts are still necessary.
Keywords:
stress corrosion cracking,
carbon steel,
nitrate,
nitrite,
carbonate,
pH,
Hanford,
nuclear waste
© 2008 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2008
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.