Hydrogen generation by water radiolysis with immersion of oxidation products of Zircaloy-4

In order to predict the hydrogen gas generation from seawater or water in which debris would be included by the severe accident of nuclear power plant, we investigated the effect of ZrO2 and the oxidation products of Zircaloy-4 on hydrogen gas generation by radiolysis of water since the radiolytic generation could be affected by materials immersed in water. Powders of well-characterized oxides and oxidation products were immersed in either seawater or distilled water, and irradiated by gamma ray from a Co-60 source. The observed hydrogen yield, G(H2), was measured as a function of the weight fraction of oxide in water up to 50 wt%. The enhancement of the hydrogen generation by radiolysis of water with the commercial oxides and the oxidation products of Zircaloy-4 was quite small or absent in seawater. But the enhancement was observed in the presence of the oxides or the oxidation products at low weight fraction in distilled water. This enhancement in distilled water seemed to be dependent on specific surf...