A calculational approach has been used to evaluate potential sources, transport, and distribution of hydrogen in light-water reactor (LWR) irradiated stainless steel. The calculations indicate that corrosion-induced hydrogen can achieve significant and uniform concentration profiles in structures of reasonable thickness, i.e., 3 mm. The LWR temperature of about 288°C is sufficient to promote diffusion without the aid of radiation-enhanced diffusion. If the in-core hydrogen fugacity is significantly higher than ex-core hydrogen fugacity, it is predicted that hydrogen outgassing will occur during times associated with ex-reactor slow strain rate testing. Differences between hydrogen effects on in-core irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) and ex-core IASCC are expected. Hydrogen traps in stainless steel are not important at LWR temperatures. Lastly, calculated transmutation hydrogen inventories are small even when a surface oxide barrier exists blocking the release of hydrogen.

Subject
Hydrogen induced cracking, Barriers, Water, Materials, Hydrogen concentration, Hydrogen content, Diffusion, Irradiation, Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking, Kinetics, Fugacity, Stainless steel, Hydrogen
Keywords:
Hydrogen, kinetics, calculation, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking, temperature
© 1997 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).
1997
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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