Long Term Performance of PE4710 Materials in Disinfectant Treated Nuclear Raw Water Systems

Degradation of service water systems is a major issue facing nuclear power plants and many plants will require repair or replacement of existing carbon steel piping components. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been used in non-safety service water systems for over ten years and has demonstrated superior performance. However, there still exist knowledge gaps around material properties, inspectability, and long-term performance. Specifically, there is a lack of insight on the aging of HDPE piping in disinfectant treated service water systems. This paper summarizes the methodology and results of predicting the expected life time of HDPE piping exposed to oxidizing biocides in numerous end-use scenarios. The aging mechanism of concern is Stage III Chemical-Mechanical degradation, where the polymer is oxidized by biocides and then experiences slow crack growth (SCG). An Aging Model is used to provide general predictions of pipe service life. The results were analyzed for trends and limiting or sensitive operating parameters were identified. For most applications, the specific resin used in the model demonstrated good performance for lifetimes of well over 40 years.