Aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel from foreign and domestic research reactors is being consolidated at the Savannah River Site (SRS) for ultimate disposal in the Monitored Geologic Repository. The melt-dilute treatment technology has been developed to consolidate fuel assemblies by a melting/casting process in which depleted uranium is added to reduce enrichment below 20% 235U. The melt-dilute product is essentially a binary uranium-aluminum alloy to which neutron absorber
materials may be readily added. Demonstration of the compatibility and effectiveness of neutron-absorbing additions to the uranium-aluminum alloy, relative to criticality control, has been performed. The corrosion of uranium-aluminum alloys including neutron absorbers is being investigated in accordance with ASTM C1431-99. Testing includes vapor, static, single-pass flow, and electrochemical tests on surrogates of the melt-dilute treatment product. Exposure of uranium-aluminum alloys, including absorbers, to water vapor shows low post-passivation corrosion rates, similar to that of aluminum. The corrosion degradation sequences in the aqueous and vapor testing are assessed.
Keywords: uranium-aluminum alloys, vapor corrosion, repository, spent nuclear fuel