Wetting property of liquid Pb on different steel candidates as structural materials for the Generation IV nuclear reactors

Conventional high-chromium ferritic / martensitic steels, such as T91 and AISI 316 L as well as the new oxide dispersed strengthened (ODS) steels, i.e. Fe-Cr (ferritic or martensitic) with a fine Y2O3 dispersion, are promising candidates as structural materials for applications in aggressive environments. In order to improve the efficiency and lifetime of structural materials for liquid metal fast reactor (LMFR), where liquid lead (Pb) is used as coolant, the investigations are currently focused on the interfacial phenomena occurring at the liquid Pb/steel interfaces. The better understanding of the interfacial phenomena is the key issue for the selection of structural materials meeting the requirements of the demanding application. In the present work, a fundamental study on the wetting characteristics and the interfacial phenomena of liquid Pb in contact with T91, AISI 316L, ODS-12Cr and ODS-14Cr steels over the temperature range 550–820°C and under different oxygen containing atmospheres is reported.