The effect of temperature oscillation on the passive corrosion properties of Alloy 22

A temperature-oscillating heated electrode technique (TOHET) was developed for investigating the temperature effect on the passive corrosion properties of Alloy 22 (UNS N06022, Ni–22Cr–13Mo–3W–3Fe), which has been selected as the corrosion-resistant material (CRM) of the waste package outer barrier for the high level nuclear waste (HLNW) repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, USA. Cyclic and potentiostatic polarization tests were conducted on a temperature-controlled hot surface of Alloy 22, which was immersed in simulated Yucca Mountain ground waters. The current recorded during cyclic polarization tests was sensitive to temperature changes when the temperature amplitude was greater than 2 °C. Corrosion potential increased from −293 mV to −256 mV (Ag/AgCl) when temperature was decreased from 102 °C to 72 °C. Current variation was also observed during a potentiostatic test at −150 mV over which temperature oscillated between 65 °C and 95 °C. The log–linear plot of passive current density vs. temperature exhibited a linear relationship. In summary, the TOHET method is a valuable technique for studying the effects of temperature on the corrosion rate of passive alloys.