Novel Cleaning Methodologies for Specimens Tested in Liquid Metals

Abstract

Liquid metals are excellent coolants of fission and fusion reactors. However, the chemical compatibility of structural materials is important issue. The mass losses of the high-temperature materials such as FeCrAl-ODS, SiC, and refractory metals by corrosion in liquid metals are essential information to obtain their corrosion rates. The specimens must be cleaned to remove liquid metals solidified and adhered on the specimens after the corrosion tests, though the damage of the specimens in the cleaning procedure must be minimized. Cleaning methodologies appropriate for the specimens tested in liquid metals are urgently required for further compatibility study. The cleaning methodology with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution was developed, in which Sn was selectively dissolved without any damage on the specimens of the high-temperature materials. The cleaning procedure to remove Pb, Bi, and these alloys (i.e., Pb-16Li and Pb-Bi) adhered on the specimens in the solution mixture of acetic acid, ethanol, and H 2 O 2 were also studied.