LOCALISED CORROSION OF STAINLESS STEELS 316L AND 2205 IN SYNTHETIC BENTONITE PORE WATER AND BENTONITE SLURRY

Abstract

One concept for Czech canister construction for deep geological repository considers stainless steel as an inner case material. Corrosion resistance to localised (pitting/crevice) corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel 316L and duplex steel 2205 was studied. The environment was synthetic bentonite pore water (SBPOW) of domestic bentonite BaM, or a slurry of bentonite in SBPOW. Tests were carried out between 40 °C and 90 °C under anaerobic conditions of a nitrogen atmosphere. The following methods were used for evaluation: potentiostatic tests at oxidation-reduction potential of the environment, long-term exposure tests in SBPOW and slurry, slow strain rate tensile test (SSRT), exposure test of U-bends, and optical microscopy. Results showed no susceptibility of either material to stress corrosion cracking. No localised corrosion was observed up to 70 °C. There was no localised attack observed in SBPOW at 90 °C, but there was localised corrosion detected in the bentonite slurry. Forced breakdown of the passive layer during SSRT, and artificial crevices (O-rings), showed no effect on localised corrosion propagation. The detrimental effect was probably a result of the adsorption ability of the bentonite particles, which allowed breakdown of passive layer and disabled repassivation of metastable pits.