In-situ electrochemical study of Zr1nb alloy corrosion in high temperature Li+ containing water

• Zr1Nb alloy was tested in WWER coolant and in LiOH solutions at 280 °C.
• Corrosion rates were estimated in-situ from electrochemical data.
• Electrochemical data agreed well with weight gains and metallography data.
• Increase of corrosion rate in LiOH appeared after short exposure (300–500 h).
• Very high donor densities (1.1–1.2 × 1020 cm−3) of Zr oxide grown in LiOH were found.

Long-term in-situ corrosion tests were performed in order to evaluate the influence of lithium ions on the corrosion of zirconium alloy. Experiments were carried out in a high-pressure high-temperature loop (280 °C, 8 MPa) in a high concentration water solution of LiOH (70 and 200 ppm Li+) and in a simulated WWER primary coolant environment. The kinetic parameters characterising the oxidation process have been explored using in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and slow potentiodynamic polarization. Also, a suitable equivalent circuit was suggested, which would approximate the impedance characteristics of the corrosion of Zr–1Nb alloy. The Mott–Schottky approach was used to determine the semiconducting character of the passive film.