The Savannah River Site (SRS) will disperse or dissolve precipitated metal oxides using oxalic acid as
part of radioactive waste tank closure operations. To better understand the conditions of oxalic acid
cleaning of the carbon steel waste tanks, laboratory simulations of the process were conducted to
determine the corrosion rate of carbon steel and the generation of gases such as hydrogen and carbon
dioxide. Open circuit potential measurements, linear polarization measurements, and coupon
immersion tests were performed in-situ to determine the corrosion behavior of carbon steel during the
demonstration. Vapor phase samples were analyzed continuously to determine its constituents. The
combined results from these measurements indicated that in aerated environments, such as the tank,
that the corrosion and hydrogen generation rates are manageable for short contact times during waste
removal operations.