The effect of very high heat fluxes on the corrosion of 1100 and 6061 aluminum alloys by water was investigated. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether aluminum would have adequate corrosion resistance for use as a fuel-element cladding material in the High-Flux Isotope Reactor; therefore the test conditions generally simulated those expected to exist during reactor operation. At heat fluxes between 1 and 2 x lo6 E3tu/hr*ft2 and with coolant temperatures and velocities in the ranges of 131 to 250°F and jl to 51 fps, respectively, a layer of boehmite (~A~~o~. H~o)
Short-term corrosion tests with types 1100, 515^^ 6061, and XBOOl aluminum alloys were conducted in water at flow rates ranging between 20 and IO7 fps and at temperatures between I70 and 290°C. Corrosion of the alloys was less dependent on flow rate in the range of 20 to 67 fps than at higher velocities. At temperatures as high as 230°C no evidence of localized attack except for random shallow pitting was exhibited by these alloys, and all had comparable corrosion rates. At 260 and 290°C all alloys except X8OOI showed extensive subsurface attack. At 260°C and at velocities up to &J fps, the corrosion rate of X8001 aluminum was high during the early part of a run and then decreased to rates of between 5 and I5 mpy; at the highest velocity, the corrosion rate was constant at 200 mpy. Tests with X8OOI aluminum at 260°C showed that mechanically polished specimens corroded at about the same rate as those with a machine finish. A significant improvement in corrosion resistance at 20 to 67 fps was accomplished, however, by exposing the specimens to water at 25O or 300°C in an autoclave for 2U hr prior to exposure in the loop. At higher flow rates the pretreatment was ineffective. Several experimental alloys containing various amounts of iron, nickel, and silicon were tested at ^4-2 fps and 26o°C for 10 days. Although the alloys contained different ratios of iron to nickel and some of the alloys had a very low silicon content, all corroded at the same rate and showed no improvement over X8OOI. EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION 130. Division of Research and Development, AEC, ORO 131-707. Given distribution as shown in TID-4500 (l6th ed.) under Metals, Ceramics, and Materials (75 copies-OTS)
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