Generation of hydrogen by hydroheterogeneous compositions based on aluminum and alkali metals

Abstract

The process of hydrogen formation and the associated risk of combustion and explosion is a complex problem concerned with the hydrogen and radiation safety of nuclear reactors. Lithium, potassium and sodium hydroxides are used in VVER reactors as corrective additives for keeping the hydrogen potential of the water coolant with boric acid at a controlled level of 5.8 to 10.3. In the process of investigating the interaction of aqueous solutions of the above hydroxides with aluminum, the most chemically active of these is lithium hydroxide; this reaction proceeds with hydrogen formed at a high rate at room temperature (in an exothermic mode). The processes of hydrogen generation in hydroheterogeneous compositions with potassium and sodium hydroxides proceed at an acceptable rate with heating to ~ 60 °C. The kinetics of hydrogen generation depends in a complex way on the content of boric acid, namely, the hydrogen yield is at a level of ~ 1000 ml at a low concentration of 0.01 to 0.05 g/l, and there is no hydrogen formation at a concentration of 0.6 g/l. According to the coolant quality standards, in the hot state of a VVER-1000 unit or in the reactor state at the minimum controlled power level, the total concentration of alkali metals is about 1 mg/dm3, i.e. two to three orders of magnitude as less as in the investigated compositions. The discovery of the influence of alkali metal hydroxides on the formation of hydrogen with the participation of structural materials based on the example of aluminum makes it possible to suggest that the hydroxides of these metals contained in the coolant in a small amount can also take part in the hydroheterogeneous process of formation of minor hydrogen amounts. The potential for hydrogen formation in such a way needs to be taken into account during long-term operation of nuclear reactors, and during accidents and incidents at NPPs