Evidence of Corrosive Gas Formed by Radiolysis of Chloride Salts in Plutonium-bearing Materials

Year
2010
Author(s)
Laura A. Worl - Los Alamos National Laboratory
D. Kirk Veirs - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Joshua E. Narlesky - Los Alamos National Laboratory
John M. Berg - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Abstract
Corrosion and pitting have been observed in headspace regions of stainless steel containers enclosing plutonium oxide/salt mix- tures. These observations are consistent with the formation of a corrosive gas, probably HCl, and transport of that gas to the headspace regions of sealed containers. The NH 4Cl films found on the walls of the sealed containers is also indicative of the pres- ence of HCl gas. Radiolysis of hydrated alkaline earth salts is the probable source of HCl.