The resistance of titanium to pitting, microbially induced corrosion and corrosion in unsaturated conditions

Titanium and its alloys (Grades-2, -12, -16) are candidate materials for Canadian nuclear waste containers on the basis of their apparent immunity to many localized corrosion processes. This simplifies markedly the effort needed to justify the use of these materials and to develop models to predict the lifetimes of containers. Here we review the pitting, microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), and corrosion under unsaturated conditions, of titanium. For all these processes, the properties of the passive oxide film are paramount in determining the metal`s resistance to corrosion. A review of these oxide properties is included and the conditions to which the metal must be exposed if localized corrosion is to occur are defined. Since these conditions cannot be achieved under Canadian waste vault conditions, it can be concluded that pitting and MIC will not occur and that corrosion under unsaturated conditions is extremely unlikely. (author) 114 refs., 1 tab., 18 figs.