Document Type

Grant

Publication Date

2-25-2005

Abstract

Liquid lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are good candidates for the nuclear coolant in accelerator-driven systems or advanced reactors [1]. Corrosion of containment and structural materials presents a critical challenge in the use of these materials as a nuclear coolant in accelerator-driven systems or advanced reactors [2]. One way to reduce the corrosion in liquid lead and LBE and in the whole circuit is to protect the structural materials with a stable oxide layer, and that layer can be sustained, provided a certain level of oxygen concentration in the LBE. This sets a lower limit on the oxygen concentration in the LBE. An upper limit is set by the constraint that any solid oxides of Pb or Bi will not be formed in the liquid, which otherwise might contaminate the systems [1], or which otherwise might provide a source of oxygen that cannot be easily removed [3].

Keywords

Corrosion and anti-corrosives; Lead-bismuth alloys; Oxidation; Oxide coating

Disciplines

Chemical Engineering | Engineering

Language

English


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