Galvanic corrosion of copper-coated carbon steel for used nuclear fuel containers

Canada is currently considering Cu-coated carbon steel containers for the long-term storage of used nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository. The Cu coating provides a corrosion-resistant barrier, protecting the underlying steel from coming into contact with groundwater. However, galvanically accelerated corrosion of steel is possible if there is a defect through the Cu coating. To investigate this scenario, the progression of steel...