The effect of work-hardening and thermal annealing on the early stages of the uranium-hydrogen corrosion reaction. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Banos, A.; Jones, C.P.; Scott, T.B.
• Is Part Of: Corrosion science. Volume 131(2018)
• Page Start: 147
• Page End: 155
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: B. SEM -- SIMS -- C. effects of strain -- Hydrogen permeation -- Interfaces -- Pitting corrosion; Corrosion and anti-corrosives -- Periodicals; 620.11223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.corsci.2017.11.017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0010-938X

Abstract

Highlights: Distinct differences in (early) H2 corrosion of U due to differences in the level of induced strain in the metal. Mass of hydride decreases from the work-hardened to an as-cast and then a thermally annealed metal surface. Damage per hydride growth decreases from the work-hardened to the as-cast and finally the thermally annealed surface. Vacuum annealing of uranium resulted in a reduction of UH3 nucleation per unit area. Cold work-hardening significantly altered the (early) H2 corrosion behaviour. Abstract: The characteristics of hydride formation on metallic U at the early stages were investigated for three differently treated samples. The first sample reacted in its as-received state, the second was thermally annealed and the third sample underwent cold work-hardening prior to reaction with deuterium. From the analysis, the vacuum heat-treated sample was found to be more resilient to hydriding at the nucleation and growth stage, exhibiting a reduced number of nucleation points when compared to the as-cast uranium. The work-hardened sample was observed to be more susceptible to H2 corrosion, displaying very dissimilar hydriding behaviour when compared to the other.