Accelerated oxidation of cladding is the main limiting factor for reactor lift time. While neutron effect is mostly studied, photon irradiation is lack of exploration. With studies at the Advanced Test Reactor, it is reported that underestimated oxidation rate is accompanied by neglecting of photon irradiation [1].
This project studies the effect of photon irradiation on the corrosion of zirconium alloys. The zirconium alloys samples are centered in front of sapphire window with UV illumination for several months. The growth and resistivity of zirconium oxides are characterized in-situ by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and are compared to unirradiated sister samples.
[1] D. M. Rishel, and B. F. Kammenzind, “The Role of Gamma Radiation on Zircaloy-4 Corrosion,” in 18th International Symposium on Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry, Hilton Head Island, SC, 2016.