Rapid straining electrode tests of nickel based alloys have been carried out under simulated
primary water at 320°C with and without dissolved hydrogen (DH) for basic study of PWSCC
mechanism. The followings are clarified as an electrochemical behavior of bare metal surface
appeared just after oxide film failure under simulated primary water.
1) Very rapid repassivation of alloy690(UNS N06690) and relatively slow repassivation of alloy
600(UNS N06600) are observed under the condition without DH, however repassivation could not be
observed and only cathodic current is observed under the condition with DH.
2) These cathodic current observed under the condition with DH, reaches some plateau value in a few
seconds and the currents have been kept constantly more than 30 seconds. The plateau cathodic
current of 690 is about 1/5 of those of alloy 600 and 132(UNS N06132).
It is suggested that these cathodic current should have some important role for PWSCC, because
relatively high susceptible material such as alloy 600 and 132 have higher cathodic current than alloy
690 which has much lower susceptibility to PWSCC and these results suggest that the hydrogen in
metals should play important role for PWSCC.
Keywords: PWR, SCC, PWSCC, alloy 600,alloy 690, rapid straining electrode test, repassivation,
cathodic current, hydrogen