Inhibiting stress corrosion cracking in the primary coolant circuit of a nuclear reactor

摘要

A primary coolant circuit for cooling a nuclear reactor has wetted mechanically stressed nickel base alloy components such as Alloy 600 tubes in steam generators having oxidized surfaces comprising 1-10 w/o zinc, which tubes are inhibited against primary water stress corrosion cracking. The crack initiation times may be delayed by a factor of two in pressurized water nuclear reactors.