Abstract:
This study used
in-situ irradiation electrochemical joint characterization technology to investigate the effects of key environmental parameters (absorbed dose, dissolved hydrogen concentration, synergistic concentration of boric acid and lithium hydroxide) on water radiolysis behavior and material corrosion electrochemical characteristics (corrosion potential, corrosion current density) in a γ radiation field. The water radiolysis behavior was obtained by measuring the amount of hydrogen peroxide produced using a spectrophotometer, and the corrosion potential and corrosion current density of the material were obtained by measuring the polarization curve using an electrochemical workstation, which was calculated from the polarization curve. The experimental results show that the degree of water radiolysis and material corrosion tendency increase with the increase of absorbed dose, manifested as a negative shift in corrosion potential and an increase in corrosion current density. This is mainly attributed to the continuous irradiation process, where the total energy absorbed by water molecules increases with the increase of absorbed dose, leading to the intensification of water radiolysis. Secondly, dissolved hydrogen, as an effective radiation decomposition inhibitor, can effectively suppress water radiolysis and reduce corrosion current with increasing concentration. Moreover, the addition of dissolved hydrogen induces a positive shift in corrosion potential, but the effect of concentration changes on potential is relatively weak. The changes in potential and current are inconsistent with some literature, mainly due to differences in environmental parameters (low temperature vs. high temperature, irradiation vs. non-irradiation) and time scales (short-term electrochemistry vs. long-term corrosion). Compared to increasing the concentration of boric acid or lithium hydroxide alone (both of which exacerbate water radiolysis), the synergistic effect of boron lithium concentration within the experimental range on promoting water radiolysis is not significant. However, the synergistic increase in boron lithium concentration will exacerbate material corrosion, manifested as a decrease in corrosion potential and an increase in corrosion current density, ultimately leading to a weakening of metal corrosion resistance and an acceleration of overall corrosion process. The reason for the change in electrochemical results despite little change in water radiolysis is that the increase in the concentration of boric acid and lithium hydroxide increases the concentration of hydrogen ions, hydroxide ions, and other ions in the system, promoting electrochemical reactions. Research has shown that an increase in absorbed dose promotes both water radiolysis and material corrosion. The addition of dissolved hydrogen can effectively suppress water radiolysis and reduce corrosion current density. The synergistic concentration of boron and lithium has no significant effect on water radiolysis, but the synergistic increase in concentration exacerbates material electrochemical corrosion.