from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
Compatibility of structural materials with a coolant, in conditions relevant to power plant operation, is a field of research of primary importance to nuclear safety. The current work describes the behaviour of T91 steels, under such conditions. Three-point-bend specimens were pre-stressed up to yield strength and subsequently exposed to lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) in static conditions for 2000 hours. The aim was to identify the susceptibility to crack initiation in the selected experimental conditions. Post-test examination by means of SEM equipped with EDX demonstrated the formation of oxide scales without any trace of crack initiation. The oxide was characterised by a two-layer structure. By FIB cutting, lamellas were produced and analysed in HRTEM. EELS technique was used for elemental evaluation of the oxides. Characteristics of the oxide and its interface with the steel were thoroughly characterised.
Keywords: ferritic-martensitic steel, lead-bismuth eutectic, oxidation, FIB lamellas© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.