Feasibility analysis of modified AL-6XN steel for structure component application in supercritical water-cooled reactor

Abstract

Modified AL-6XN austenite steel was patterned after AL-6XN superaustenitic stainless steel by introducing microalloy elements such as zirconium and titanium in order to adapt to recrystallizing thermo-mechanical treatment and further improve crevice corrosion resistance. Modified AL-6XN exhibited comparable tensile strength, and superior plasticity and impact toughness to commercial AL-6XN steel. The effects of aging behavior on corrosion resistance and impact toughness were measured to evaluate the qualification of modified AL-6XN steel as an in-core component and cladding material in a supercritical water-cooled reactor. Attention should be paid to degradation in corrosion resistance and impact toughness after aging for 50 hours when modified AL-6XN steel is considered as one of the candidate materials for in-core components and cladding tubes in supercritical water-cooled reactors.

Keywords

supercritical water cooled reactor / tensile / impact toughness / corrosion / aging

References

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2007CB209800).

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2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg