Oxidation of Alloy 82 in nominal PWR primary water at 340 deg. C and in hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C

Nickel-base weld metals are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) primary water. As tests in laboratory need to last, in some cases, at least several thousand hours to get stress corrosion crack initiation or propagation in simulated primary water, pure hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C was used to perform accelerated tests. To confirm that these conditions are still representative of primary water conditions, results of oxidation tests of coupons in hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C and in primary water at 340 deg. C have been compared. Surface oxide layers have been characterized in order to discuss the influence of the temperature and of the media (water or steam). (authors)