Integrated Chemical Effects Test Project: Test #5 Data Report (NUREG/CR-6914, Volume 6)
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Publication Information
Manuscript Completed: August 2006
Date Published: December 2006
Principal Investigator: J. Dallman
Prepared by:
J. Dallman, B. Letellier, J. Garcia, J. Madrid, W. Roesch
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, NM 87545
D. Chen, K. Howe
University of New Mexico
Department of Civil Engineering
Albuquerque, NM 87110
L. Archuleta, F. Sciacca
OMICRON Safety and Risk Technologies, Inc.
2500 Louisiana Blvd. NE, Suite 410
Albuquerque, NM 87110
B.P. Jain, NRC Project Manager
Prepared for:
Division of Fuel, Engineering and Radiological Research
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001
NRC Job Code Y6999
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Abstract
A 30-day test was conducted in the Integrated Chemical Effects Test (ICET) project test apparatus. The test simulated the chemical environment present inside a pressurized water reactor containment water pool after a loss-of-coolant accident. The initial chemical environment contained 6.48 kg of boric acid, 10.0 kg of sodium tetraborate, and 0.284 g of lithium hydroxide. 90.8 mL of hydrochloric acid was added during the last two hours of the four-hour spray phase. The test was conducted for 30 days at a constant temperature of 60°C (140°F). The materials tested within this environment included representative amounts of submerged and unsubmerged aluminum, copper, concrete, zinc, carbon steel, and insulation samples (100% fiberglass). Representative amounts of concrete dust and latent debris were also added to the test solution. Water was circulated through the bottom portion of the test chamber during the entire test to achieve representative flow rates over the submerged specimens. The test solution pH varied from 8.2 to 8.4 for the duration of the test. The test solution turbidity decreased to approximately 2 NTU after 7 days. The turbidity at 60°C decreased to approximately 1 NTU the following day and remained near 1 NTU for the duration of the test. However, when the solution was cooled to 23°C, the turbidity increased to 5 NTU at Day 19 and remained near that value for the duration of the test. After the water samples had cooled to room temperature for several days, precipitates were visible in the water. These formed wispy patterns when the sample bottles were turned upside down and took 2–3 days to settle again. The submerged metallic coupons all developed thin particulate deposits that dulled their color and roughened their surface. Post-test examinations showed that the submerged aluminum coupons lost approximately 3% of their weight, but there were very little weight changes on the other coupons. The unsubmerged coupons exhibited some streaking, but little or no weight changes. The bottom of the tank contained very little sediment at the end of the test. The test solution at 60°C remained Newtonian for the entire test. When cooled to 25°C, the solution exhibited shear thinning, and the viscosity generally increased at all shear rates as the test progressed. Aluminum concentration rose to over 50 mg/L by Day 11 and fluctuated between 33 and 55 mg/L for the duration of the test.
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