Decreasing Hydrogen Content within Zirconium Using Au and Pd Nanoparticles as Sacrificial Agents under Pressurized Water at High Temperature

Abstract

Decreasing hydride-induced embrittlement of zirconium-based cladding is a significant challenge for the successful dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. Herein, to radically minimize hydride-induced embrittlement, we used nanoparticles as sacrificial agents with a greater affinity than zirconium for hydrogen. Corrosion experiments in the presence of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles under simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions revealed that the hydrogen content of the zirconium samples was remarkably reduced, with a maximum decrease efficiency of 53.9% using 65 nm Au and 53.8% using 50 nm Pd nanoparticles. This approach provides an effective strategy for preventing hydride-induced embrittlement of zirconium-based cladding.

Chemical material as a hydrogen energy carrier: A review

“…Notably, storing gaseous hydrogen at high pressure (350~700 bar) in storage tanks and transporting it via tube trailers is a prominent approach, as is liquefying gaseous hydrogen (−253 ℃) and storing it in dedicated storage tanks. These methods require specialized infrastructure due to the high energy density of hydrogen, and liquefaction, in particular, incurs significant energy consumption [46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59]. As alternatives, research is underway on physically adsorbing hydrogen onto porous materials such as Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Carbon nanotubes for storage and transportation, as well as chemically binding hydrogen to metals to enable solid-state storage and desorption, as seen in metal hydrides.…”