Abstract
Most canisters for spent fuel storage in the US are fabricated from austenitic stainless steel. When exposed to chloride-rich atmospheres; the welded canister is susceptible to atmospheric chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC). CISCC may affect the confinement function as a result of crack initiation and propagation through the canister wall thickness. In this assessment, key factors affecting CISCC of the canisters are identified in terms of environments, stresses, and material sensitization. This paper proposed a methodology to estimate the time for crack initiation and crack penetration depth as a function of storage time. Furthermore, some gaps in the technical background for CISCC of stainless steel canisters are discussed.
