A comparative review of the aqueous corrosion of glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals

Frankel Gerald (1) , Vienna John (2) , Lian Jie (3) , Scully John (4) , S. Gin (5) , Ryan Joseph (2) , Jianwei Wang (6) , Seonghun Kim (7) , Windl Wolfgang (1) , Jincheng Du (8)

1 OSU - Ohio State University [Columbus]
2 PNNL - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
3 RPI - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
4 University of Virginia
5 CEA-DES (ex-DEN) - CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire)
6 LSU - Louisiana State University
7 Penn State - Pennsylvania State University
8 UNT - University of North Texas

All materials can suffer from environmental degradation; the rate and extent of degradation depend on the details of the material composition and structure as well as the environment. The corrosion of silicate glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals, particularly as related to nuclear waste forms, has received a lot of attention. The corrosion phenomena and mechanisms of these materials are different, but also have many similarities. This review compares and contrasts the mechanisms of environmental degradation of glass, crystalline ceramics, and metals, with the goal of identifying commonalities that can seed synergistic activities and advance the current knowledge in each area. npj Materials Degradation (2018) 2:15 ; INTRODUCTION New research activity focused on the environmental degradation of silicate glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals relevant to nuclear waste forms and containers has recently been described. 1 The premise is that synergistic interactions between experts in the corrosion of these different material classes will lead to advances in understanding that would not otherwise have been possible. One of the commonalities associated with the corrosion of glasses, ceramics, and metals is the formation of a thin surface layer, called an alteration layer or a passivating film, which may provide protection from environmental degradation. A key aspect of the corrosion resistance of each material is whether the film is a barrier to or is susceptible to corrosion when subjected to a mixture of driving forces that challenge the integrity of the layer. This paper reviews the basics of the corrosion and protection mechanisms of these surface films first individually for glass, ceramics, and metals, and then draws conclusions regarding the similarities and differences in these surface films, their formation and breakdown, and the roles they play in the corrosion and protection processes. The focus of this review is on examples of glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals that are of primary interest to nuclear waste management. Therefore, examples of each materials class are discussed: boro-silicate and alumino-boro-silicate glasses, aluminosilicate and titanate ceramics, and corrosion-resistant metallic alloys. Cementitious materials are also used extensively in waste immobilization, both for encapsulation or backfill and as a waste form for low level waste, but this review does not address the degradation of cement.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Théorique [nucl-th]; Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

Frankel Gerald, Vienna John, Lian Jie, Scully John, S. Gin, et al.. A comparative review of the aqueous corrosion of glasses, crystalline ceramics, and metals. npj Materials Degradation, 2018, 2 (1), ⟨10.1038/s41529-018-0037-2⟩. ⟨cea-02515867⟩