Conclusion

Chemistry in the operation of EDF's nuclear power plants meets such important challenges and objectives as safety, availability, equipment service life and reduced maintenance costs. The chemical packaging used mainly defines the purity, pH and oxidation-reduction potential required to maintain functions and performance, avoid degradation and control environmental impact, while taking into account the increasingly stringent constraints imposed by changing regulations in this field. The levers defined to limit the degradation of materials and increase their service life are tools that can then be used by decision-makers to determine the most appropriate strategy for industrial applications.

Optimization paths and specific constraints for chemical conditioning of the primary circuit focus on limiting stress corrosion of nickel alloys, reducing dose rates and the risk...