Reactivity of beryllium in aqueous solution from acidic to basic pH
Résumé
Beryllium wastes produced by nuclear industry could be managed by encapsulation in cements. The main risk is the aqueous corrosion, which leads to the hydrogen production and cracks causing a loss of radioactivity confinement. However, the corrosion can be limited by the formation of the hydroxide solid phase Be(OH)2(s). A study on the influence of the pH on the reactivity of beryllium was carried out in aqueous solution. The solubility diagram was drawn and showed that the hydroxide solid phase is stable until very high basic pH of 14. The pH variation of solution at different initial pH was measured after immersion of metallic beryllium. The results are in good agreement with the calculated solubility diagram. The open circuit potential (OPC) and the electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) were recorded at a beryllium electrode from pH 2 to 15. The simulation of the EIS by using an electric equivalent circuit allowed to evaluate the Be reactivity by measuring the charge transfer resistance as a function of the pH. The experimental results confirm that the corrosion of beryllium is limited at neutral to basic pH and this low reactivity was attributed to the formation of the hydroxide solid phase Be(OH)2. The OCP and EIS measurements put also in evidence that the corrosion of beryllium is the lowest in solution having pH around 12. In this pH range, the Be metal would be protected against the corrosion both by the formation of the hydroxide solid Be(OH)2 and by the adsorption of hydroxide ions (OH−) at the metal surface.
Domaines
Physique Générale [physics.gen-ph]Origine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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