Long term electrochemical potential (ECP) monitoring in an operating boiling water reactor (BWR) was achieved using improved electrode designs developed at NWT Corporation. Results show the ECP of various materials drift over a variable time period toward a long term value independent of the material tested and apparently representative of the BWR piping. The apparent steady state ECP of Type 304 stainless steel varied from -370 mV in mid-1979, to zero in August 1980, and to +110 mV in October 1982. An explanation for this ECP behavior is proposed, and possible implications relative to general corrosion, BWR piping radiation buildup, and stress corrosion cracking are reviewed.

Subject
Water, Materials, Boiling water reactors, Metal surfaces, Reactors, Autoclaves, Reference electrodes, Corrosion reactions, Platinum, Anodic reactions, Impurities, Magnetite, Electrodes
© 1983 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).
1983
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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