HTGR Knowledge Base

Conference Article: Oxide films on austenitic HTR heat exchanger materials as a tritium permeation barrier

Buchkremer, H.P.; Hecker, R.; Jonas, H.; Leyers, H.J.; Stoever, D. (Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH, Juelich (Germany))

Abstract

In a high temperature process heat reactor, tritium may inadvertently permeate from primary circuit into the secondary circuit through the metallic walls of the heat exchanging components due to high gas outlet temperatures about 1223 deg K. Since the German radiation protection regulations only permit a concentration of 10 p Ci of tritium per gram of the gas, it is necessary to produce very effective tritium permeation barriers, which also respond to hydrogen, in order to keep the existing gas purification system economically efficient. Investigation showed that such a permeation barrier is optimally formed by oxide coatings (corrosion layers) grown in oxidizing atmospheres where the thickness of the coatings can reach up to a few mum.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Specialists' meeting on heat exchanging components of gas-cooled reactors Duesseldorf (Germany) 16-19 Apr 1984
International Atomic Energy Agency, International Working Group on Gas-Cooled Reactors, Vienna (Austria)
IWGGCR--9, pp:363-376