MODIFICATION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF AN OXIDE FILM TO MAINTAIN LOW POTENTIAL CORROSION IN WATER AT HIGH TEMPERATURE.

摘要

A METHOD FOR MITIGATING GENERAL CORROSION AND THE INITIATION AND GROWTH OF FISURES ON THE SURFACE OF METAL COMPONENTS IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR COOLED WITH WATER. A COMPOSITE FORMED BY A NON-NOBLE METAL, LIKE ZIRCONY OR TITANIUM, IS INJECTED IN THE WATER OF THE REACTOR IN THE FORM OF A SOLUTION OR SUSPENSION. THIS COMPOUND DECREASES IN THE THERMAL CONDITIONS OF THE REACTOR TO RELEASE IONS OR ATOMS FROM THE NON-NOBLE METAL, THAT ARE INCORPORATED TO THE SURFACES OF THE COMPONENTS, EVEN IN THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF THE FISURES THAT HAVE FORMED. THE PREFERRED ARE ZIRCONY COMPOUNDS LIKE ZIRCONY ACETYLLETONATE, ZIRCONY NITRATE AND ZIRCONYL NITRATE. THE ZIRCONIO INCORPORATED TO THE OXIDIZED SURFACE OF A METAL COMPONENT WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL OF ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION IN THE SURFACE AT A LEVEL LOWER THAN CRITICAL POTENTIAL TO PROTECT AGAINST BREAK BY INTERGRANULAR CORROSION WITHOUT ADDITION OF HRO.