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Swiss nuclear power and the case for long-term operation
Designed for 40 years but built to last far longer, Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have all entered long-term operation. Yet age alone says little about safety or performance. Through continuous upgrades, strict regulatory oversight, and extensive aging management, the country’s reactors are being prepared for decades of continued operation, in line with international practice.
J. C. Griess, A. L. Bacarella
Nuclear Technology | Volume 10 | Number 4 | April 1971 | Pages 546-553
Technical Paper | Symposium on Reactor Containment Spray System Technology / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT71-A16264
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Spray solutions would be used for pressure reduction and fission product absorption in the event of a serious accident in an aqueous power reactor. These sprays are normally alkaline borate solutions either with or without sodium thiosulfate added. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the corrosion resistance of materials normally present in reactors and associated containment systems in representative spray solutions. Our results showed that, as a class, aluminum alloys were very severely damaged by these solutions. A notable exception was the 5052 alloy which corroded much less at higher temperatures, but at about the same rate as the other aluminum alloys at the lower temperatures. Iron, nickel, copper, and zirconium-base alloys as well as structural concrete had adequate resistance to these solutions under all conditions tested. Pure copper was only lightly attacked by the alkaline borate solution, but with thiosulfate present the corrosion of copper was greatly increased.