Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (Yekaterinburg, Russia)1 ; North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (Zhengzhou, China)2
Shailong Li, Postgraduate Student1,2
North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (Zhengzhou, China)
Weishu Wang, Dr. Eng., Associate Prof., Prof., Institute of Power Engineering and Heat Engineering
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (Yekaterinburg, Russia)
O. A. Chikova, Dr. Phys.-Math., Associate Prof., Prof., Dept. of Physics, Institute of Thermal Engineering, o.a.chikova@urfu.ru
E. Yu. Raskatov, Dr. Eng., Associate Prof., Head of the Dept. of Metallurgical and Rotary Machines
Austenitic 15-15Ti steel and martensitic T91 steel are considered as promising structural materials for liquid metal heat exchangers of fast neutron reactors with lead-bismuth eutectic coolant (PbBie). The corrosion behavior of 15-15Ti and T91 steel samples exposed to lead-bismuth eutectic coolant (PbBie) under static conditions at a temperature of 500 °C and holding times of 200, 300, and 400 hours has been studied. A metallographic study of the cross-sectional microstructure of the samples obtained after corrosion testing was conducted using a Neophot-32 optical microscope. The corrosion behavior was studied by determining the thickness and morphology of the oxide layer and diffusion zone at the steel/PbBie interface. It was found that the steel grade significantly influences the mechanism of corrosion failure. The austenitic steel 15–15Ti/PbBie interface showed signs of localized intergranular corrosion due to intense wetting and penetration of PbBie along grain boundaries to a significant depth. In PbBie, the formation of a discontinuous layer containing metal and oxide fragments was observed, promoting liquid-metal embrittlement of the steel. The martensitic steel T91/PbBie interface demonstrated the predominance of dissolution and interdiffusion of alloying elements, accompanied by the formation of a more uniform oxide-diffusion layer on the surface, which partially prevented further penetration of molten PbBie into the steel. A comparison of the corrosion behavior of 15-15Ti and T91 steel samples exposed to PbBie liquid metal coolant suggests that intergranular penetration of the PbBie melt, rather than diffusion alone, is the key factor determining a material’s susceptibility to liquid metal embrittlement and its suitability as a structural material for liquid metal heat exchangers in nuclear reactors. The results obtained can be used to select optimal structural materials for heat exchangers and refine the operating conditions of circuits with leadbismuth coolant of eutectic composition PbBie.
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