Change in corrosion potential of SUS304 in natural river water

Yamamoto, Masahiro ; Katayama, Hideki*; Sato, Tomonori  ; Tsukada, Takashi 

In the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, seawater and natural river water were poured for emergency cooling. Corrosion of materials was worried because of high chloride ion concentration from seawater. The chloride ion concentration was decreased by de-chlorination operation. However, the water was not treated in the viewpoint of microbial breeding, so that many microbes could be alive and microbially induced corrosion (MIC) was worried. So, we attempted to examine the ability of MIC occurrence by using of corrosion potential analysis. Corrosion potentials of samples rose to about 300 mV nobler than the initial values in the NB added solution. The potentials of the welded samples more easily rose than the simple plate. These potential changes are attributed to the biofilms formed on the sample surface. After about 100 days' immersion, evidence of localized corrosion was not observed. More immersion time is needed to clarify the MIC ability.