Magnetite particles deposited on the secondary side of a steam generator (SG) can degrade the integrity and performance of pressurized water reactors. Therefore, it is necessary to produce the data of fundamental interfacial electrokinetic properties of magnetite particles and SG tube materials. This study investigated the zeta potentials of magnetite nanoparticles and Alloy 690 surfaces, which were dependent on the pH value, pH agent, and the presence of NaCl. The zeta potentials of the magnetite nanoparticles increased in the negative direction as the pH increased, regardless of the pH agent. At the same pH value, the absolute values of the zeta potentials with different pH agents were: ethanolamine < ammonia < morpholine. In the presence of NaCl, the zeta potentials of the particles further increased negatively. The meaning of the measured zeta potentials was discussed in terms of the dispersion stability and the agglomeration of the particles. Based on the relationship between the zeta potentials of the particles and Alloy 690 surfaces, the magnetite deposition on Alloy 690 was also discussed. Furthermore, the empirical formulas for the pH-dependent zeta potentials of magnetite particles in each alkaline solution were suggested.
Keywords: Alloy 690; NaCl; magnetite; pH; pH agent; steam generator; water chemistry; zeta potential.