Corrosion and Environmental Degradation of Materials in High Temperature Small Modular Reactor Environments

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Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a very-low-carbon nuclear energy source that can address world-wide climate change concerns. The Canadian government has recognized this, and established initiatives to be a leader in development of SMR technology to maximize significant economic, energy, and environmental benefits. However, the key technological obstacle to SMR deployment is materials selection for the corrosive environments present in many designs. For example, molten chloride salts and high temperature helium are proposed coolants for SMR prototypes planned in Canada by 2030. The corrosion of materials in these SMRs is unclear, especially the combined effect of radiation fields and the corrosive environment. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) will need to address this knowledge gap to provide risk-informed regulatory oversight, and for code development, specifically for materials selection and chemistry control in SMRs. Thus, this project will study materials performance in molten salt and high temperature gas environments to develop new materials, inform chemistry control, guide regulator policy and decision-making, and ensure the safe and effective deployment of SMRs in Canada. To perform research in these extreme environments our team of multi-disciplinary experts will apply novel experimental methods, including unique corrosion facilities for high temperature gas and molten salt testing, proton accelerator technology for irradiating materials, and novel microscopy techniques. The research aims to systematically study important variables for materials degradation in SMRs to establish boundary conditions which can inform regulator policy, including: radiation dose, temperature, impurity content, and material composition. Furthermore, this project will address scientific gaps for corrosion in SMR environments, including radiation effects, and provide leading-edge training for highly qualified personnel (HQP). Development of HQP with world-leading knowledge in SMR technology allows for retaining and increasing research and engineering capacity for SMRs in Canada, maintaining the country's reputation as a world leader in nuclear energy.