Electrochemical corrosion study on base metals used in nuclear power plants in the HyBRID process for chemical decontamination

Base metal corrosion forms a significant issue during the chemical decontamination of the primary coolant loop in nuclear power plants as it is directly related to the economic and safety viability of decommissioning. In this technical note, potentiodynamic evaluations of several base metals (304 stainless steel, SA106 Grade B carbon steel, and alloy 600) were performed to determine their corrosion behavior during the hydrazine (N2H4)-based reductive ion decontamination (HyBRID) process. The results suggested that N2H4 protected the surface of the base metals in the HyBRID solution, which is primarily composed of H2SO4. The corrosion resistance of the carbon steel was further improved through the addition of CuSO4 to the solution. The corrosion rate of carbon steel in the H2SO4-N2H4-CuSO4 solution was lower than that exhibited in an oxalic acid solution, a commonly used reaction medium during commercial decontamination processes. These results indicate the superiority of the HyBRID process with respect to the base metal stability.