Identification of the cathode reaction accompanied with overpack corrosion

Otsuka, Ichiro*; Iida, Yoshihisa ; Yamaguchi, Tetsuji ; Kato, Osamu*; Tateishi, Tsuyoshi*; Tanaka, Tadao 

We conducted corrosion experiments of carbon wires to identify the cathode reaction with overpack corrosion. Carbon steel wires were immersed in selected aqueous solutions of distilled water, sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and sodium sulfate solution sealed in glass ampoules. The ampoules were kept at 60 C for 150 days. Corrosion products, liquid phase and gas phases were analyzed. The results showed that hydrogen gas generation by reduction of hydrogen ions was dominant cathode reaction. Reduction of sulfate and carbonate anions was not observed. Amorphous ferrous hydroxide and/or iron oxides were identified in all the experiments as the corrosion products. Iron carbonate was also identified in the sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. This result indicates that the hydrogen generation reaction might be the dominant cathode reaction under geological disposal environment and that the Eh of the pore water would reach the equilibrium potential of the hydrogen generation reaction.