Corrosion in the primary heat transport circuit of water-cooled nuclear reactors is kept at very low levels by careful control of the chemistry of the coolant. Nevertheless, the quantities of corrosion product released to the coolant, while generally only leading to concentrations in the μg.kg−1 range, can be troublesome. The main problem is caused by their distribution around the circuit after their irradiation in the core, for this gives rise to radiation fields at components which have to be maintained. Costly man-rem expenditures can be incurred by an operating nuclear power station if these out-of-core fields are not kept in check.

Subject
Corrosion rate, Oxides, Diffusion, Reactors, Oxide layers, Oxide films, Coolants, Corrosion loops, Corrosion products, Constants, Oxide surfaces, Corrosion modeling, Surface layers
© 1976 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).
1976
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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