Corrosion of Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 Tubes in Lithiated Water at 300 Degree

The current trends in water cooled nuclear power plant operation aim at reaching higher burn up in nuclear fuel elements, enabling longer fueling cycles and hence improved economy of operation, This involves, among other things increasing the alkali content (LiOH) of the primary water circuit to maintain the required pH. The high lithium chemistry involves increasing the Li content from about 2.2 to about 3.5 ppm. in the present investigation , the effect of increasing the Li content in water at 300 degree on the corrosion resistance of Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 (Zry-2 and Zry-4) tubes was investigated . Tests were carried out in an autoclave at 300 degree up to 10 days. Lithium content ranged from 4 to 400 ppm