Microbially Influenced Corrosion of Copper Nuclear Fuel Waste Containers in aCanadian Disposal Vault (Corrosion d'Origine Microbienne des Conteneurs de Dechets de Combustible Nucleaire en Cuivre dans une Installation de Stockage Permanent Canadienne)

摘要

An assessment of the potential for microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) ofcopper nuclear fuel waste containers in a Canadian disposal vault is presented. The assessment is based on a consideration of the microbial activity within a disposal vault, the reported cases of MIC of Cu alloys in the literature and the known corrosion behavior of Cu. Because of the critical role of biofilms in the reported cases of MIC, their formation and properties are discussed in detail. Next, the literature on the MIC of Cu alloys is briefly reviewed. The various MIC mechanisms proposed are critically discussed and implications for the corrosion of Cu containers considered. Finally, because of the predominance of corrosion by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the MIC literatue, the abiotic behavior of Cu alloys in sulphide solutions is also reviewed.