Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT) (방사성폐기물학회지)

Korean Radioactive Waste Society (한국방사성폐기물학회)
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Feasibility Study on Aluminum Under Laser Ablation for Corrosion Resistance in Molten Salt

  • Peggy T. Milota (Virginia Commonwealth University) ;
  • Supathorn Phongikaroon (Virginia Commonwealth University)
  • Received : 2023.08.25
  • Accepted : 2023.10.13
  • Published : 2024.03.30
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Abstract

Fundamental aspects of creating passivation layers for corrosion resistance in nuclear engineering applications, specifically the ability to form complete layers versus porous ones, are being explored in this study. Utilizing a laser ablation technique, 1,064 nm fire at 10 Hz with 60 pulses per shot and 0.5 mm between impact points, aluminum samples are treated in an attempt to create a fully formed passivation layer that will be tested in a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. By placing these samples into an electrochemical environment mimicking a pyroprocessing system, corrosion rates, resistances and material characteristics are tested for one week and then compared between treated and untreated samples. In initial testing, linear sweep voltammetry indicates corrosion current density for the untreated sample at -0.038 mA·cm-2 and treated samples at -0.024 mA·cm-2 and -0.016 mA·cm-2, respectively. This correlates to a control sample corrosion rate of -0.205 mm·yr-1 and treated rates of -0.130 mm·yr-1 and -0.086 mm·yr-1 for samples 1 and 2. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy circuits show application of a longer-lasting porous passivation layer on the treated metal, compared to the naturally forming layer. However, the current technique fails to create a uniform protection layer across the sample.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The Molten Salt Group would like to acknowledge and thank the contributions of Virginia Commonwealth University's Graduate Teaching Assistantship funding for making this work possible.

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