Results showed that few % of ruthenium oxides (< 10% with SS tube) can reach low temperature, representative of containment temperature, even with low oxygen content in the carrier gas.
In this work, experimental studies are focused on ruthenium behaviour along a stainless-steel thermal gradient tube, with maximum temperature of 1200 ☌, simulating the reactor cooling system in oxidizing conditions with mainly steam/air gas mixtures. Ruthenium chemistry is complex, and the current knowledge has to be deepened to better assess ruthenium source term with potential radioactive releases to the environment as volatile ruthenium tetroxide. In the research field on severe accidents in nuclear power plant, a specific scenario correspond to accident with oxidative conditions for which damaged fuel can be highly oxidised with significant releases of ruthenium oxides.
