The Savannah River Site (SRS) will disperse or dissolve precipitated metal oxides as part of radioactive
waste tank closure operations. Previously SRS has utilized oxalic acid to accomplish this task. Since
the waste tanks are constructed of carbon steel, a significant amount of corrosion may occur. Although
the total amount of corrosion may be insignificant for a short contact time, a significant amount of
hydrogen may be generated due to the corrosion reaction. Linear polarization resistance and
anodic/cathodic polarization tests were performed to investigate the corrosion behavior during the
process. The effect of process variables such as temperature, agitation, aeration, sample orientation,
and light, as well as surface finish on the corrosion behavior were evaluated. The results of the tests
provided insight into the corrosion mechanism for the iron-oxalic acid system.