Abstract
A survey of the literature has been conducted for the Electric Power Research Institute on corrosion related failures in surface condensers. The survey was directed toward condenser failures in pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plants but includes pertinent literature related to fossil and to other nuclear power plants. It was found that the brasses and bronzes consistently exhibited the most frequent rates of failure of all of the metals and alloys that are commonly used for condenser service. The copper-nickel alloys have demonstrated better performance than the brasses and bronzes but are susceptible to erosion-corrosion and sulfide attack. The high molybdenum stainless steels and titanium show considerable promise as condenser tube materials. Problems encountered with steam-side erosion and galvanic attack of copper alloy tube sheets when stainless steel and titanium are used can be alleviated by proper baffle design and application of cathodic protection, respectively. Thus, both materials may be capable of providing leak-free condensers from the standpoint of corrosion. However, additional studies are needed to assess the severity of the potential problem of hydriding of titanium tubes under cathodic protection. Moreover, long-term exposure data are needed to establish the performance of both classes of materials in the varied environments that are encountered in condensers.
