Atypical Attack of the Dissimilar Metal Welds of a Water–Water Energetic Reactor Nuclear Power Plant Secondary Circuit: Possible Mechanisms of Failure

Abstract

Dissimilar metal welds are utilized in the energy industry to connect two materials with different material characteristics. In the case of nuclear power plants, the connected materials tend to be low-alloyed steel and high-alloyed material. Despite different material and corrosion properties, under the proper environmental conditions, the used construction materials and weld metals are protected either by a passive layer or by a high-temperature oxide. Although dissimilar metal welds are used in both primary and secondary circuits, the most frequently documented damage is in the secondary circuit, where, in addition to material heterogeneities, local environmental heterogeneities may form. For dissimilar metal welds in WWER nuclear power plants, a water–water energetic reactor, a subtype of pressure water reactor, we note two main types of attack near the dissimilar fusion boundary: on the carbon steel side or on the high-alloyed weld metal side (X10CrNiMoN16-25-6). The possible causes of the latter “atypical” corrosion attack are debated and can be generalized as a consequence of change of the grain boundary condition.