Steel corrosion experience in the Latina reactor

A statistical study is being carried out in connection with the Latina Power Station Reactor surveillance programme on bolts of the most critical reactor cage assemblies. The tests are made in autoclaves with pure CO2 at 13kg/cm2, elongation up to failure of bolts being checked. To accelerate tests, many washers were packed to increase the number of interfaces and three testing temperatures were adopted, 390, 420 and 5000C. At the same time studies are being performed on the corrosion of steels with different silicon contents, and differing surface treatments. The experimental apparatus also permits the acquisition of data on oxide growth kinetics both on free surfaces and interfaces, on oxide-to-metal volume ratios, and on the effects of temperature on corrosion kinetics. (author)