Energy and Nuclear Power

Over the past three decades, SSW has worked closely with many of the leading energy and power generation giants, particularly from the nuclear industry. CANDU Owners Group (COG), Ontario Power Generation, Kinectrics, Bruce Power and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) have benefitted from our expertise. The projects tend to be long-term and focus on corrosion-related studies in areas of steam generator tubing, pressure tubes, stainless steel tubing, and copper nuclear waste containers. SSW is licensed to handle and examine radioactive material.

We have also provided short-term material characterization and contamination evaluation of components such as zirconium fuel tubes, brazed joints and steam generator tubes. In addition to commercial work, SSW acts as a corrosion and nuclear materials teaching resource centre.
More recently, SSW has also been active in the research and development of green energy technologies including development of non-silicon-based solar cell and solar heating technologies.

Energy and Nuclear Power Solutions

• Under-deposit corrosion of oxygen free phosphorus doped copper used for nuclear waste containers
• Stress corrosion cracking of steam generator tubing
• Characterization of oxide layer formation on steam generator tubing alloys
• Evaluating hydrogen embitterment in zirconium-based alloys used in nuclear reactor applications
• Submicron imaging of low level species that have segregated to grain boundaries in alloys
• Metallographic analysis of next generation materials for steam generation applications
• Analysis of surface contamination on zirconium fuel tubes
• Green technology-based solar cells

For further information, please contact Sridhar Ramamurthy or Mark Biesinger.