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Master'sNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies Applications open

Master’s in Corrosion, SCC and Chemical Compatibility Engineering in Primary Circuits

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in corrosion, SCC and chemical compatibility engineering for primary circuits. 12 modules covering corrosion electrochemistry, primary and secondary chemistry, corrosion mechanisms, stress corrosion cracking, environmental fatigue, dose sources, materials compatibility and mitigation, with the EPRI PWR Water Chemistry Guidelines and CHECWORKS, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply electrochemistry to corrosion processes in circuits.

02

Control primary and secondary circuit chemistry.

03

Identify corrosion and stress corrosion cracking mechanisms.

04

Assess environmental fatigue in components.

05

Reduce dose sources through chemistry control.

06

Select materials compatible with the environment.

07

Design corrosion mitigation and monitoring programmes.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Nuclear power plant chemists.
  • Corrosion engineers.
  • Materials engineers.
  • Steam generator specialists.
  • Piping integrity engineers.
  • Stress corrosion cracking researchers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the nuclear power industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • EPRI PWR Primary Water Chemistry Guidelines (primary chemistry control)
  • EPRI PWR Secondary Water Chemistry Guidelines (secondary chemistry control)
  • NUREG/CR-6909 (environmental fatigue in reactor water)
  • ASME BPVC Section XI (in-service inspection and flaw evaluation)
  • ASTM G129 (slow strain rate testing for environmentally assisted cracking)
  • ISO 7539 (stress corrosion testing)
  • NUREG-1801 GALL Report (generic ageing lessons learned)
  • CHECWORKS
  • OLI Studio
  • MULTEQ
  • Gamry Echem Analyst
  • Abaqus
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Anodic and cathodic reactions
  2. 1.2Nernst equation and equilibrium potentials
  3. 1.3High-temperature Pourbaix diagrams
  4. 1.4Butler-Volmer kinetics
  5. 1.5Polarisation and mixed potential
  6. 1.6Passivation and oxide films
  7. 1.7High-temperature reference electrodes
  8. 1.8Impedance spectroscopy
  9. 1.9Electrochemical noise measurement
  10. 1.10Laboratory: polarisation curve in an autoclave
  1. 2.1PWR chemistry: boron and lithium
  2. 2.2pH at temperature and its control
  3. 2.3Dissolved hydrogen control
  4. 2.4Zinc injection
  5. 2.5BWR chemistry: normal water and HWC
  6. 2.6Noble metals and OLNC
  7. 2.7Water radiolysis
  8. 2.8Impurities: chlorides, sulphates and oxygen
  9. 2.9EPRI and VGB guidelines
  10. 2.10Practical exercise: calculation of primary pHT
  1. 3.1All-volatile treatment (AVT)
  2. 3.2Amines and their selection
  3. 3.3Oxygen control
  4. 3.4Corrosion products in the secondary circuit
  5. 3.5Steam generator fouling
  6. 3.6Chemical cleaning of steam generators
  7. 3.7Condenser chemistry
  8. 3.8Use of polymeric dispersants
  9. 3.9Turbine condensate
  10. 3.10Case study: amine optimisation in the secondary circuit
  1. 4.1General corrosion of carbon steels
  2. 4.2Flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC)
  3. 4.3Liquid droplet erosion-corrosion
  4. 4.4Intergranular corrosion in sensitised zones
  5. 4.5Pitting and crevice corrosion
  6. 4.6Galvanic corrosion in dissimilar joints
  7. 4.7Microbiologically influenced corrosion in auxiliary circuits
  8. 4.8Boric acid corrosion
  9. 4.9Fretting wear
  10. 4.10Practical exercise: FAC model with the Chexal-Horowitz equation
  1. 5.1Factors: material, stress and environment
  2. 5.2Initiation and growth
  3. 5.3IGSCC in BWR stainless steels
  4. 5.4PWSCC in Alloy 600 and 82/182 welds
  5. 5.5Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking
  6. 5.6Chloride-induced transgranular SCC
  7. 5.7Effect of cold work
  8. 5.8Predictive crack growth models
  9. 5.9CERT and crack growth tests
  10. 5.10Laboratory: slow strain rate test
  1. 6.1Fatigue in reactor water
  2. 6.2Fen factor according to NUREG/CR-6909
  3. 6.3Effects of temperature, oxygen and strain rate
  4. 6.4Thermal stratification in lines
  5. 6.5Nozzle fatigue
  6. 6.6Transient monitoring
  7. 6.7Cumulative usage assessment
  8. 6.8Management programmes
  9. 6.9Operating experience in environmental fatigue
  10. 6.10Workshop: CUF calculation with the Fen factor
  1. 7.1Release of corrosion products
  2. 7.2Transport and deposition
  3. 7.3Cobalt activation
  4. 7.4CRUD fouling
  5. 7.5Management of cobalt in materials
  6. 7.6Zinc injection to reduce dose
  7. 7.7Chemical decontamination of systems
  8. 7.8Filtration and purification
  9. 7.9Experience in dose reduction
  10. 7.10Case study: chemistry and dose during refuelling
  1. 8.1Zirconium corrosion in the primary circuit
  2. 8.2Effect of lithium
  3. 8.3Hydrogen pickup
  4. 8.4CRUD and AOA
  5. 8.5Nodular corrosion in BWR cladding
  6. 8.6Fuel failures
  7. 8.7Chemical behaviour of ATF cladding
  8. 8.8Interaction between chemistry and fuel
  9. 8.9Failure surveillance
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: CIPS risk assessment
  1. 9.1Materials selection for compatibility
  2. 9.2Alloy 690 and its welds
  3. 9.3Low-carbon steels
  4. 9.4Coatings and cladding
  5. 9.5Compatibility in boron systems
  6. 9.6Compatibility with ion exchange resins
  7. 9.7Molten salts and liquid metals
  8. 9.8Compatibility in supercritical water reactors
  9. 9.9Compatibility testing
  10. 9.10Case study: materials selection for a heat exchanger
  1. 10.1Laser and water jet peening
  2. 10.2Component replacement
  3. 10.3Structural weld overlays
  4. 10.4Nozzle repair
  5. 10.5Stress-relief heat treatments
  6. 10.6Chemistry control as mitigation
  7. 10.7Cathodic protection in auxiliary circuits
  8. 10.8Inhibitors in auxiliary circuits
  9. 10.9Effectiveness assessment
  10. 10.10Workshop: PWSCC mitigation plan for a power plant
  1. 11.1Ultrasonic inspection
  2. 11.2Eddy current testing of steam generators
  3. 11.3Wall thickness measurement for FAC
  4. 11.4Online monitoring
  5. 11.5Corrosion coupons
  6. 11.6In-plant chemical analysis
  7. 11.7Inspection data management
  8. 11.8Risk-informed inspection
  9. 11.9System health indicators
  10. 11.10Practical exercise: wall thickness measurement programme with CHECWORKS
  1. 12.1Identification of the corrosion problem
  2. 12.2Characterisation of the system and its chemistry
  3. 12.3Mechanism analysis
  4. 12.4Testing or modelling
  5. 12.5Remaining life assessment
  6. 12.6Mitigation proposal
  7. 12.7Monitoring plan
  8. 12.8Conclusions of the corrosion study
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is CHECWORKS, OLI Studio, MULTEQ, Gamry Echem Analyst and Abaqus, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for autoclave corrosion testing, FAC assessment in piping and primary chemistry studies. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: EPRI PWR Primary Water Chemistry Guidelines, EPRI PWR Secondary Water Chemistry Guidelines, NUREG/CR-6909, ASME BPVC Section XI, ASTM G129, ISO 7539 and NUREG-1801 GALL Report.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the EPRI PWR Primary and Secondary Water Chemistry Guidelines and NUREG/CR-6909 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:CHECWORKS, OLI Studio, MULTEQ, Gamry Echem Analyst and Abaqus, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a study of a real corrosion problem covering mechanism analysis, testing or modelling, remaining life, mitigation and a monitoring plan, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Primary chemistry calculation
You calculate primary circuit pHT and set lithium and boron control.
FAC modelling
You model flow-accelerated corrosion with the Chexal-Horowitz equation and plan wall thickness measurements with CHECWORKS.
Environmental fatigue assessment
You calculate the cumulative usage factor of a component with the Fen factor.
PWSCC mitigation plan
You design a PWSCC mitigation plan for a nuclear power plant.
Master's Thesis
A study of a real corrosion problem with mechanism analysis, remaining life assessment, mitigation and monitoring plan, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Nuclear power plant chemistCorrosion engineerMaterials engineerSteam generator specialistPiping integrity engineerStress corrosion cracking researcher
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with CHECWORKS, OLI Studio, MULTEQ, Gamry Echem Analyst and Abaqus, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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