Beryllium reactivity in magnesium phosphate cement: PREDIS Deliverable 4.12

Sébastien Caes, Andrey Bukaemskiy, Guido Deissmann, Giuseppe Modolo, Valdir De Souza, Bruno Kursten

Research outputpeer-review

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Abstract

Due to its physical and mechanical properties, metallic beryllium is an attractive engineering material for nuclear applications, e.g. as moderator, reflector, or fuel cladding in thermal reactors. After use, activated beryllium waste will need to be disposed of in a geological disposal repository. One option for the treatment and conditioning of the beryllium waste could be the direct emplacement of pieces of beryllium in a cementitious matrix. In these conditions, beryllium corrodes producing hydrogen, and beryllium oxide and/or hydroxide. Different cement matrices could be used. The most common one is the Ordinary Portland Cement possessing a highly alkaline pore solution. However, other cementitious materials, such as the Magnesium Phosphate Cement possessing a near neutral pore solution can also be of interest. Indeed, because beryllium is an amphoteric material, decreasing the pH to more neutral conditions could be beneficial to decrease the corrosion rate. In this study, the corrosion rate and mechanism of metallic beryllium is investigated in solutions mimicking the cement pore solutions as well as in different cementitious matrices using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the measurement of the hydrogen released, the mass loss, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherPREDIS
Number of pages50
StatePublished - 28 Jun 2024

Publication series

NameSCK CEN Reports
PublisherPredis
No.PREDIS-D4.12

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