High corrosion resistant Ti-5%Ta-1.8%Nb alloy for fuel reprocessing application

The conventional low carbon austenitic stainless steels display good corrosion resistance behaviour in nitric acid media. However, they are sensitive to intergranular corrosion in boiling nitric acid media in the presence of oxidizing ions like hexavalent chromium, tetravalent iron and hexavalent plutonium. The Ti-5%Ta-1.8%Nb alloy was evaluated as a candidate material for such applications of nuclear fuel reprocessing. Extensive tests were carried out to establish the superior corrosion properties in comparison to the conventional stainless steel or nitric acid grade stainless steel. The fabricability of this new alloy to various shapes like rod, sheet, wire and its weldability, which is required for making vessels, was found to be good.