Mitigating corrosion in pressurised water reactors

Abstract

Since the beginning of nuclear energy, safety and security have been a great concern for the utilities, and a lot of research work has been performed, and still is, in order to improve the reliability of nuclear power plants. Among the various causes that may impair this reliability, corrosion of the metallic components is a major one, and has been the subject of a lot of problems that have occurred, mostly in the early stages of nuclear plants implementation. Corrosion is a complex phenomenon which can appear under various forms, each of these involving the synergy between a specific characteristic of the metallic material and one of the environment in which it is used. It thus needs, to be mitigated, the understanding of the mechanism of each of its specific forms, in order to implement the proper remedies. A brief review of the main corrosion problems is presented which have been encountered during more than 35 years of pressurised water reactor exploitation, how they were addressed and how they were solved.