Advanced studies in chemistry control with morpholine. Final report

Prior studies at Beaver Valley Unit 1 and at Prairie Island found that the substitution of morpholine for ammonia reduced corrosion and iron transport in the feedtrain of pressurized water reactors. The benefits of using morpholine encouraged other utilities to consider morpholine water chemistry. Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 was the first domestic PWR with deep-bed condensate polishers to use morpholine water chemistry. Typically a bed is operated in the hydrogen cycle for eight to ten days, followed by an additional 25 days in the morpholine cycle. Morpholine reduced feedwater iron levels by 28 percent. With morpholine treatment at Calvert Cliffs Unit 1, corrosion product transport in feedwater was reduced by a factor of 1.3 -- 1.4. Morpholine treatment at higher levels at Prairie Island Unit 2 provided a factor of 2.3 reduction in feedwater iron transport, in agreement with data from Electricity de France. EdF data show that the factor increases as the pH for ammonia chemistry is reduced from 9.5. When possible, the factors were compared at a pH of 9.2 for morpholine at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of morpholine thermally decompose at increasing rates with temperature above about 288{degree}C (550{degree}F). Oxygen and several metal oxides appear to increasemore » the rate of decomposition to a small extent. Acetate, formate, and various amines, including ammonia, are the principal decomposition products.« less