Stability of MgO-, CeO2- and SiO2-doped Cr2O3 ceramics in high-temperature supercritical water

Various amounts of MgO, CeO2 and SiO2 additives were added into Cr2O3 ceramics for the purpose of investigating their effects on the stability of Cr2O3 in high-temperature supercritical water (SCW), which is being considered as the coolant used for the next generation Supercritical Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR). These ceramics were exposed to a Chalk River Laboratories SCW environment at 650 °C and 25 MPa for up to 600 h. Gravimetric measurement, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mass spectrum analysis were conducted to characterize the corrosion behavior of these Cr2O3-based ceramics in high-temperature SCW.