C2024-20845 Characterization Of Stress-Corrosion-Cracking In Plutonium-Bearing Storage Containers

Roderick Fuentes, Emmanuel Perez, Michael Martínez-Rodríguez, Henry Ajo - The Integrated Surveillance Program, under the Department of Energy, is responsible for the periodic surveillance of storage containers containing plutonium-bearing materials. The container-package consist of a stainless-steel three-layered structure with a convenience can that confines the material, and seal-welded inner and outer cans designed to isolate the materials for up to 50 years with minimal surveillance. The inner-can represents the first layer of material containment, and it should not be breached. During monitoring, corrosion-pitting and stress-corrosion-cracking (SCC) has been identified in some of the inner cans near the weld regions due transport of chloride salts and water impurities into the space between the convenience can and the inner can. SCC through wall penetration would result in an undesired increased risk of leakage.An investigation is in progress to identify and characterize corro