An overview of the Canadian corrosion program for the long-term management of nuclear waste

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has developed a comprehensive Proof Test Plan to evaluate the feasibility and safety of its deep geological repository solution for nuclear waste. This work plan includes many active research programs to build confidence in the Canadian used nuclear fuel container design, a copper-coated steel vessel that is optimised for the CANDU waste form. Ongoing research within the Proof Test Plan includes several programs to evaluate the possible extent of damage that may be caused by various corrosion mechanisms: the anoxic corrosion of copper in pure water, concentrated chloride solutions, and in the presence of sulphide; a comparison of the corrosion behaviour of copper coatings on steel with wrought copper; the localised corrosion and surface roughening of copper; the.-radiolysis-induced corrosion of copper; the galvanic corrosion of through-coating defects; and the localised corrosion of the internal steel weld region.