Corrosion resistance of ceramic materials in pyrochemical reprocessing condition by using molten salt for spent nuclear oxide fuel Original Research Article

The corrosion resistance of ceramic materials in pyrochemical reprocessing using molten salts was discussed through the thermodynamic calculation and corrosion test. The corrosion test was basically carried out in alkali molten salt under chlorine gas. In addition, the effects of oxygen, carbon and main fission productʹs chlorides on ceramics corrosion were evaluated in that condition. Most of ceramic oxides showed good chemical stability on chlorine, oxygen and uranyl chloride from thermodynamic calculation results. On the other hand, from corrosion test result, silicon nitride, mullite (Al6Si2O13) and cordierite (Mg2Al3(AlSi5O18)) have a good corrosion resistance which is corresponding to 0.1 mm/y or less. No cracks on the materials were observed and flexural strength did not drop remarkably after 480 h corrosion testing in molten salt under Cl2–O2 atmosphere.