Jor-Shan Choi

Corrosion Resistances of Iron-Based Amorphous Metals with Yttrium and Tungsten Additions in Hot Calcium Chloride Brine & Natural Seawater: Fe48Mo14Cr15Y2C15B6 and W-Containing Variants

Yttrium-containing SAM1651 (Fe{sub 48.0}Cr{sub 15.0}Mo{sub 14.0}B{sub 6.0}C{sub 15.0}Y{sub 2.0}), has a critical cooling rate (CCR) of approximately 80 Kelvin per second, while SAM2X5 (Fe{sub 49.7}Cr{sub 17.7}Mn{sub 1.9}Mo{sub 7.4}W{sub 1.6}B{sub 15.2}C{sub 3.8}Si{sub 2.4}) with no yttrium has a higher critical cooling rate of approximately 600 Kelvin per second. SAM1651s low CCR enables it to be rendered as a completely amorphous material in practical materials processes. Chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) provide corrosion resistance; boron (B) enables glass formation; and rare earths such as yttrium (Y) lower critical cooling rate (CCR). The passive film stability of these Fe-based amorphous metal formulations have been found to be superior to that of conventional stainless steels, and comparable to that of Ni-based alloys, based on electrochemical measurements of the passive film breakdown potential and general corrosion rates.

Corrosion Resistance of Amorphous Fe49.7Cr17.7Mn1.9Mo7.4W1.6B15.2C3.8Si2.4 Coating: A New Criticality Control Material

An iron-based amorphous metal with good corrosion resistance and a high absorption cross section for thermal neutrons has been developed and is reported here. This amorphous alloy has the approximate formula Fe49.7Cr17.7Mn1.9Mo7.4W1.6B15.2C3.8Si2.4 and is known as SAM2X5. Chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten were added to provide corrosion resistance, while boron was added to promote glass formation and the absorption of thermal neutrons. Since this amorphous metal has a higher boron content than conventional borated stainless steels, it provides the nuclear engineer with design advantages for criticality control structures with enhanced safety. While melt-spun ribbons with limited practical applications were initially produced, large quantities (several tons) of gas-atomized powder have now been produced on an industrial scale, and applied as thermal-spray coatings on prototypical half-scale spent-nuclear-fuel containers and neutron-absorbing baskets. These prototypes and other SAM2X5 samples have undergone a variety of corrosion testing, including both salt-fog and long-term immersion testing. Modes and rates of corrosion have been determined in various relevant environments and are reported here. While these coatings have less corrosion resistance than melt-spun ribbons and optimized coatings produced in the laboratory, substantial corrosion resistance has been achieved.

Release rates from partitioning and transmutation waste packages

Partitioning the actinides in light-water reactor spent fuel and transmuting them in actinide-burning liquid-metal reactors has been proposed as a potential method for reducing the public risks from geologic disposal of nuclear waste. As a first step towards quantifying the benefits for waste disposal of actinide burning, we have calculated the release rates of key radionuclides from waste packages resulting from actinide burning, and compare them with release rates from LWR spent fuel destined for disposal at the potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The wet-drip water-contact mode has been used. Analytic methods and parameter values are very similar to those used for assessing Yucca Mountain as a potential repository. Once released, the transport characteristics of radionuclides will be largely determined by site geology. For the most important nuclides such as I-129 and {Tc}-99, which are undiminished by actinide-burning reactors, it is not surprising that actinide burning offers little reduction in releases. For important actinides such as Np-237 and Pu isotopes, which are reduced in inventory, the releases are not reduced because the release rates are proportional to solubility, rather than inventory.

Comparative Study on the Corrosion Resistance of Fe-Based Amorphous Metal, Borated Stainless Steel and Ni-Cr-Mo-Gd Alloy

Iron-based amorphous alloy Fe{sub 49.7}Cr{sub 17.7}Mn{sub 1.9}Mo{sub 7.4}W{sub 1.6}B{sub 15.2}C{sub 3.8}Si{sub 2.4} was compared to borated stainless steel and Ni-Cr-Mo-Gd alloy on their corrosion resistance in various high-concentration chloride solutions. The melt-spun ribbon of this iron-based amorphous alloy have demonstrated a better corrosion resistance than the bulk borated stainless steel and the bulk Ni-Cr-Mo-Gd alloy, in high-concentration chloride brines at temperatures 90 deg. C or higher. (authors)

FY05 HPCRM Annual Report: High-Performance Corrosion-Resistant Iron-Based Amorphous Metal Coatings

New corrosion-resistant, iron-based amorphous metals have been identified from published data or developed through combinatorial synthesis, and tested to determine their relative corrosion resistance. Many of these materials can be applied as coatings with advanced thermal spray technology. Two compositions have corrosion resistance superior to wrought nickel-based Alloy C-22 (UNS No. N06022) in some very aggressive environments, including concentrated calcium-chloride brines at elevated temperature. Two Fe-based amorphous metal formulations have been found that appear to have corrosion resistance comparable to, or better than that of Ni-based Alloy C-22, based on breakdown potential and corrosion rate. Both Cr and Mo provide corrosion resistance, B enables glass formation, and Y lowers critical cooling rate (CCR). SAM1651 has yttrium added, and has a nominal critical cooling rate of only 80 Kelvin per second, while SAM2X7 (similar to SAM2X5) has no yttrium, and a relatively high critical cooling rate of 610 Kelvin per second. Both amorphous metal formulations have strengths and weaknesses. SAM1651 (yttrium added) has a low critical cooling rate (CCR), which enables it to be rendered as a completely amorphous thermal spray coating. Unfortunately, it is relatively difficult to atomize, with powders being irregular in shape. This causes the powder to be difficult to pneumatically convey during thermal spray deposition. Gas atomized SAM1651 powder has required cryogenic milling to eliminate irregularities that make flow difficult. SAM2X5 (no yttrium) has a high critical cooling rate, which has caused problems associated with devitrification. SAM2X5 can be gas atomized to produce spherical powders of SAM2X5, which enable more facile thermal spray deposition. The reference material, nickel-based Alloy C-22, is an outstanding corrosion-resistant engineering material. Even so, crevice corrosion has been observed with C-22 in hot sodium chloride environments without buffer or inhibitor. Comparable metallic alloys such as SAM2X5 and SAM1651 may also experience crevice corrosion under sufficiently harsh conditions. Accelerated crevice corrosion tests are now being conducted to intentionally induce crevice corrosion, and to determine those environmental conditions where such localized attack occurs. Such materials are extremely hard, and provide enhanced resistance to abrasion and gouges (stress risers) from backfill operations, and possibly even tunnel boring. The hardness of Type 316L Stainless Steel is approximately 150 VHN, that of Alloy C-22 is approximately 250 VHN, and that of HVOF SAM2X5 ranges from 1100-1300 VHN. These new materials provide a viable coating option for repository engineers. SAM2X5 and SAM1651 coatings can be applied with thermal spray processes without any significant loss of corrosion resistance. Both Alloy C-22 and Type 316L stainless lose their resistance to corrosion during thermal spraying. Containers for the transportation, storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) with corrosion resistant coatings are envisioned. For example, an enhanced multi-purpose container (MPC) could be made with such coatings, leveraging existing experience in the fabrication of such containers. These coating materials could be used to protect the final closure weld on SNF/HLW disposal containers, eliminate need for stress mitigation. Integral drip shield could be produced by directly spraying it onto the disposal container, thereby eliminating the need for an expensive titanium drip shield. In specific areas where crevice corrosion is anticipated, such as the contact point between the disposal container and pallet, HVOF coatings could be used to buildup thickness, thereby selectively adding corrosion life where it is needed. Both SAM2X5 & SAM1651 have high boron content which enable them to absorb neutrons and therefore be used for criticality control in baskets. Alloy C-22 and 316L have no neutron absorber, and cannot be used for such functions. Borated stainless steel and G