Effect of boiling of nitric acid solution on corrosion of Stainless steel-made concentrator in reduced pressure

Ueno, Fumiyoshi  ; Irisawa, Eriko ; Kato, Chiaki   ; Igarashi, Takahiro  ; Yamamoto, Masahiro ; Abe, Hitoshi 

In this study, we focused on the effect of the boiling of nitric acid solution on the corrosion of a stainless steel-made concentrator in reduced pressure in fuel reprocessing plant. In order to perform the simulation test in a non-radioactive condition, nitric acid solution with the addition of vanadium as an oxidizing metal ion were used. Corrosion tests were carried out under the conditions of boiling at reduced pressure, and of non-boiling at normal pressure and several temperatures. As a result, corrosion was accelerated by the solution boiling while it was not by non-boiling at the same temperature. It was found also that the temperature dependence of corrosion rate is the same in the both conditions of boiling and non-boiling. The corrosion accelerating effect will be discussed on the basis of the reaction among nitric acid, NOx and vanadium, etc.