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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Savannah River Site completes concrete work for Saltstone Disposal Unit 11
The Savannah River Site has completed all concrete construction on its “mega-size” Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU) 11 at the Saltstone Disposal Facility in Aiken, S.C. The several SDUs at the site are designed to provide safe, permanent storage for decontaminated salt solution from the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) as production is ramped up. The SDUs are crucial components of SRS’s liquid waste program, allowing the site to meet the cleanup responsibilities of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management.
Celt Llŷn Griffith, James Macdonald, Charlotte L. Baxter, John Thomas Prabhakar, Simon Middleburgh, Walter Villanueva
Nuclear Technology | Volume 212 | Number 6 | June 2026 | Pages 1540-1552
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2025.2583896
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The choice of molten lead as a chemically inert and low-pressure coolant for a nuclear reactor can provide enhanced safety features. However, research is still needed in areas such as materials performance and corrosion control. In this paper, we investigate the erosion/corrosion of aluminized and non-aluminized Type 316H stainless steel (316H) and non-aluminized 316L stainless steel (316L) under high-velocity lead flow using the newly commissioned BULLET (Bangor University Lead Loop Erosion/corrosion Test) facility. In this loop, lead flow at a rate of 3.3 m/s was applied across the sample surface for a period of 500 h at 420°C and an oxygen content of 10−8 wt%. Posttest materials characterization of the samples using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and stylus profilometry is presented. A reduction in surface roughness was observed in 316L, as well as pitting corrosion. With the same exposure conditions, 316H was found to differ in erosion/corrosion behavior from 316L.