title: Roles of Radiolytic and Externally Generated H2in the Corrosion of Fractured Spent Nuclear Fuel.
abstract: A 2-D model for the corrosion of spent nuclear fuel inside a failed nuclear waste container has been modified to determine the influence of various redox processes occurring within fractures in the fuel. The corrosion process is driven by reaction of the fuel with the dominant α radiolysis product, H2O2. A number of reactions are shown to moderate or suppress the corrosion rate, including H2O2decomposition and a number of reactions involving dissolved H2produced either by α radiolysis or by the corrosion of the steel container vessel. Both sources of H2lead to the suppression of fuel corrosion, with their relative importance being determined by the radiation dose rate, the steel corrosion rate, and the dimensions of the fractures in the fuel. The combination of H2from these two sources can effectively prevent corrosion when only micromolar quantities of H2are present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Nazhen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Zack
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.|Surface Science Western, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario N6G 0J3, Canada.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shoesmith
mesh_terms: D003343:Corrosion; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D013232:Steel
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D013232:Steel; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide