Measurement of Seawater Corrosion of Snap Container Alloys Using Radioactive Tracer Techniques

摘要

Corrosion rates of Haynes 25, Hastelloy C and Hastelloy N in seawater were measured using two radioactive tracer techniques. These techniques involved (1) measurement of the radioactivity leached into seawater from radioactive alloy specimens and (2) performing neutron activation analysis of corrosion products in seawater in which inactive alloy specimens had been placed. The second technique was used to determine whether the gamma recoil from the thermal neutron activation of the alloys in the first technique had affected their corrosion properties. It was found that the gamma recoil from neutron activation had only a small effect on the corrosion rate of the alloys. The average corrosion rates obtained for Hastelloy C and Hastelloy N were 0.00005 mil per year and 0.0001 mil per year, respectively. No appreciable differential leaching of the cobalt, nickel and chromium components of these alloys was observed. The results obtained for Haynes 25 indicated differential leaching had occurred. The corrosion rate calculated from the amount of cobalt released was 0.000001 mil per year while that calculated from the amount of chromium released was 0.00001 mil per year. (Author)