5. Mechanical behavior of HA cell metal components coupled with their corrosion

R&D work on the mechanical behavior of the metallic components of the HA cell concerns the cell liner and the storage container, and aims to characterize their respective modes of failure in a storage situation (modalities, criteria and time domains of occurrence). Over the course of their lives, both components will be subjected simultaneously to progressive corrosion damage and increased mechanical loading by the confining medium (deferred Callovo-Oxfordian behavior) in the case of the liner, and by the liner itself and then by the confining medium in the case of the storage container. In line with the elements presented in the previous section, only generalized corrosion is taken into account in the assessments of the mechanical behavior of the two components.

The mechanical behavior associated with a generalized corrosion process will control the various...