In its current design, the high-level nuclear waste containers include an external layer of Alloy 22 (N06022), which was selected to provide long-term corrosion resistance. The model for the degradation of the containers includes three modes of corrosion, namely general corrosion, localized corrosion and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). The objective of the current research was to evaluate the susceptibility of Alloy 22 to EAC in several environmental conditions with varying solution composition, temperature and electrochemical potential. The susceptibility to EAC was assessed using constant de- formation (deflection) U-bend specimens in both the non-welded (wrought) and welded conditions. Results show that after more than five years exposure in the vapor and liquid phases of alkaline (pH ~ 10) and acidic (pH ~ 3) multi-ionic environments at 60°C and 90°C, Alloy 22 was free from EAC. Using U- bend samples, Alloy 22 was also free of EAC after 28 days testing in simulated concentrated water (SCW) at +0.4 V in the saturated silver chloride [SSC] scale.
Keywords: high-level nuclear waste, nickel-based alloy, N06022, environmentally assisted cracking, U- bend, welded specimens, slow strain rate test (SSRT), acoustic emission, simulated acidified water (SAW), simulated concentrated water (SCW), simulated dilute water (SDW).