Ng. Petrik, A MODEL FOR RADIATION CORROSION OF ZIRCONIUM CLADDING OF FUEL-ELEMENTS IN BOILING WATER NUCLEAR-REACTORS .1. UNIFORM CORROSION, High energy chemistry, 31(6), 1997, pp. 368-372
A model is worked out to describe the depth of uniform corrosion of zi
rconium fuel-element claddings under conditions of boiling water nucle
ar reactors in terms of measurable parameters that characterize the op
eration of the nuclear reactor (the flux of fast neutrons, temperature
and the steam content of the coolant, etc.). The model is based on th
e radiolytic corrosion mechanism, namely, on relating the rate of clad
ding corrosion to H2O2 concentration in the coolant. Approximate expre
ssions useful for the primary treatment and comparison of the results
of corrosion tests are presented.