Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T18:52:01.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lifetimes of Titanium and Copper Containers for the Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Lawrence H. Johnson ,
D.W. Shoesmith ,
B.M. Ikeda  and
F. King
Lawrence H. Johnson
Affiliation:
AECL Research, Whiteshell Laboratories, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE 1LO
D.W. Shoesmith
Affiliation:
AECL Research, Whiteshell Laboratories, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE 1LO
B.M. Ikeda
Affiliation:
AECL Research, Whiteshell Laboratories, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE 1LO
F. King
Affiliation:
AECL Research, Whiteshell Laboratories, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE 1LO
Get access

Abstract

Titanium and copper have been proposed as suitable container materials for disposal of nuclear fuel waste in plutonic rock of the Canadian Shield. Studies of the corrosion of these materials have led to the development of container failure models to predict long-term performance. Crevice corrosion and hydrogen-induced cracking of titanium have been identified as potential failure mechanisms, and these two processes have been studied in detail. Using data from these studies as well as a number of conservative assumptions, titanium container lifetimes of 1200 to 7000 a have been estimated. For copper, general corrosion has been studied in detail in bulk solution and in compacted clay-based buffer material. Results indicate that the copper corrosion rate is likely to be controlled by the rate of transport of copper species away from the container surface. An assessment of copper pitting data suggests that pitting is an extremely improbable failure mechanism. The copper container failure model predicts minimum container lifetimes of 30 000 a. The results demonstrate that long lifetime containment can be provided, should performance assessment studies indicate the need for such an option.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 257: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XV , 1991 , 439
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Hancox, W.T., in Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association, Winnipeg, Canada, June 1988, p. 173 (1988).Google Scholar
2. Dormuth, K.W., in Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XIV, Abrajano, T. Jr., Johnson, L.H. (eds.) Materials Research Soc. Symp. Proc. 212, pp. 779–786 (1991)Google Scholar
3. Nuttall, K. and Urbanic, V.F., Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Report, AECL-6440 (1981).Google Scholar
4. Cameron, D.J., Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Report, AECL-6834 (1982).Google Scholar
5. Crosthwaite, J.L. and Chadha, J.A., in Proc. 1989 Joint International Waste Management Conference, Kyoto, Japan, Oct. 22-28, 1989, pp. 489–497 (1989).Google Scholar
6. Gascoyne, M., Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Technical Record, TR-463 (1988).Google Scholar
7. Schutz, R.W., in Proc. of the Sixth International Conference on Titanium (Les Ulis Cedex, France: Les Editions de Physique, June 1988).Google Scholar
8. Ikeda, B.M., Bailey, M.G., Quinn, M.J. and Shoesmith, D.W., in Proc. of the 11th International Corrosion Congress, Milan, Italy, Associazone Italiana di Metallurgia, p. 5.371 (1990).Google Scholar
9. Tsujikawa, S and Kojima, Y., in Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XIV, Abrajano, T. Jr., Johnson, L.H. (eds.), Materials Research Soc. Symp. Proc. 212, pp. 261–268 (1991).Google Scholar
10. Ikeda, B.M., Bailey, M.G., Cann, D.C. and Shoesmith, D.W., in Proc. of the International Localized Corrosion Conference, NACE-9, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Houston, TX, p. 347 (1990).Google Scholar
11. Ikeda, B.M., Bailey, M.G., Clarke, C.F. and Shoesmith, D.W., in Proc. of the Workshop on Corrosion of Nuclear Fuel Waste Containers, Shoesmith, D.V. (ed.) Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Report, AECL-10121, pp. 45–66 (1990).Google Scholar
12. Clarke, C.F., Hardie, D. and Ikeda, B.M., AECL Research Report, AECL-10477 (1991).Google Scholar
13. Boyer, R.R. and Spurr, W.F., Metallurgical Transactions 9A, 23 (1978).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Shoesmith, D.W., Ikeda, B.M. and LeNeveu, D.M., in Proc. of an International Conference on Life Predictions of Corrodible Structures, Cambridge, U.K., Sept. 23-26, 1991, National Association of Corrosion Engineers (in press).Google Scholar
15. Final Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel - KBS-3, Vol. III, Barriers, Swedish Nuclear Fuel Supply Co. (1983).Google Scholar
16. King, F., LeNeveu, D.M., Ryan, S.R. and Litke, C. in Proc. of an International Conference on Life Predictions of Corrodible Structures, Cambridge, U.K., Sept. 23-26, 1991, National Association of Corrosion Engineers (in press).Google Scholar
17. King, F. and LeNeveu, D.M., in proc. of Focus 91, Nuclear Waste Packaging, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 1991, American Nuclear Society (in press).Google Scholar
18. Litke, C.D. Ryan, S.R. and King, F., AECL Research Report, AECL-10397 (to be published).Google Scholar