Accumulation of uranium, transuranium and fission products on stainless steel surfaces. I. A comprehensive view of the experimental parameters influencing the extent and character of the contamination

The surface contamination by uranium and transuranium (Pu, Am, Cm) nuclides in the primary circuit of pressurized water nuclear reactors is a fairly complex problem as (i) different chemical forms (molecular, colloidal and/or disperse) of these atoms can be present in the boric acid coolant, and (ii) only limited information about the extent, kinetics and mechanism of uranium and transuranium (TRU) accumulation on constructional materials is available in the literature. A comprehensive program has been initiated in order to study the accumulation of uranium and TRU species on some structural materials used at Soviet made VVER-type pressurized water reactors (such as heat exchanger tube of steam generators and stainless steel canister material). This paper, which is the first part of a series of two, provides a comprehensive view on the main experimental parameters influencing the extent and character of the surface contamination by uranium and TRU nuclides. Specifically, we give a brief summary of relevant literature data on the chemistry of uranium and TRU elements and review the dominant chemical forms and their relative sorbability on austenitic stainless steel and Zr(Nb) alloy surfaces. Moreover, some findings on the distribution of uranium, plutonium, americium, and curium species in a model solution of boric acid coolant obtained by the VisualMINTEQ computer code are also presented and discussed.