Environmental degradation of structural materials in liquid lead- and lead-bismuth eutectic-cooled reactors. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gong, Xing; Short, Michael P.; Auger, Thierry; Charalampopoulou, Evangelia; Lambrinou, Konstantina
• Is Part Of: Progress in materials science. Volume 126(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Liquid Pb -- Liquid LBE -- Liquid metal corrosion -- Liquid metal embrittlement -- Structural materials -- Environmental degradation; ADS accelerator-driven system -- AFA alumina-forming austenitic (steel) -- AFM atomic force microscopy -- AuSS austenitic stainless steel(s) -- bcc body-centred cubic -- BF bright-field -- CCT centre-cracked tension -- CLAM China low-activation martensitic (steel) -- COD crack opening displacement -- CSL coincidence site lattice -- CSP concentrated solar power -- CT compact tension -- CW cold-worked -- DBTT ductile-to-brittle transition temperature -- DCT disc-shaped compact tension -- DFT density functional theory -- dpa displacements per atom -- DSA dynamic strain ageing -- EAC environmentally-assisted cracking -- EB electron beam -- EBSD electron backscatter diffraction -- EDS energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy -- fcc face-centred cubic -- FCG fatigue crack growth -- FFTF Fast Flux Test Facility -- FIB focused ion beam -- F/M ferritic/martensitic (steel) -- FP fission product -- GB grain boundary -- GBEM grain boundary engineered material -- GBW grain boundary wetting -- GESA Gepulste ElektronStrahl Anlage -- GSF generalised stacking fault -- HAADF high-angle annular dark-field -- HAZ heat-affected zone -- HEA high-entropy alloy -- HLM heavy liquid metal -- IOZ internal oxidation zone -- LBE lead-bismuth eutectic -- LFR liquid Pb- or LBE-cooled fast reactor -- LLFP long-lived fission product -- LMC liquid metal corrosion -- LME liquid metal embrittlement -- LOC low oxygen concentration -- LOFA loss-of-flow accident -- LOM light optical microscopy -- LPS liquid phase sintering -- LWR light water reactor -- MA minor actinides -- MD molecular dynamics -- MSRE molten salt reactor experiment -- MYRRHA Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications -- NITE nano-infiltration and transient eutectic phase (processing route) -- NPP nuclear power plant -- ODS oxide dispersion strengthened -- OR orientation relationship -- PLD pulsed laser deposition -- PSB persistent slip band -- PVD physical vapour deposition -- RE rare-earth -- RIS radiation-induced segregation -- RT room temperature -- SA solution-annealed -- SAED selected area electron diffraction -- SEM scanning electron microscopy -- SF stacking fault -- SFR sodium-cooled fast reactor -- SMIE solid metal-induced embrittlement -- SMR small modular reactor -- SMRT surface mechanical rolling treatment -- SPT small punch test -- SSRT slow strain rate tensile -- STEM scanning transmission electron microscopy -- t-EBSD transmission electron backscatter diffraction -- TEM transmission electron microscopy -- TIG tungsten inert gas -- TOF-SIMS time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry -- TWIP twinning-induced plasticity -- UTS ultimate tensile strength -- VHTR very-high-temperature reactor -- XPS X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy -- YAG yttrium-aluminium garnet; Materials science -- Periodicals; Science des matériaux -- Périodiques; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2022.100920
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0079-6425

Abstract

Abstract: Liquid lead (Pb)- and lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE)-cooled fast neutron reactors (Gen-IV LFRs) are one of the most technologically mature fission reactor technologies, due to their inherent safety, high power density, and ability to burn nuclear waste. Accelerator-driven systems (ADS), in particular, promise to address the issues of long-lived radiotoxic nuclear waste, emerging uranium ore shortages, and the ever-increasing demand for energy. However, the conditional compatibility of conventional structural materials, such as steels, with liquid Pb and liquid LBE is still an important concern for the deployment of these advanced nuclear reactor systems, making the environmental degradation of candidate structural and fuel cladding steels the main impediment to the construction of Gen-IV LFRs, including ADS. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current understanding of environmental degradation of materials in contact with liquid Pb and liquid LBE, with a focus on the underlying mechanisms and the factors affecting liquid metal corrosion (LMC) and liquid metal embrittlement (LME), which are the two most important materials degradation effects. Moreover, this article addresses the most promising LMC and LME mitigation approaches, which aim to suppress their adverse influence on materials performance. An outlook of the needed future work in this field is also provided.