AN INTERACTION OF AUSTENITIC CR-NI STEEL CLADDING WITH LI-PB EUTECTICAFTER IN-REACTOR TESTS AT TEMPERATURES 550 AND 670 K

A material science study of 0.04C-16Cr-11Ni-3Mo-Ti steels cladding aft er static reactor testing in contact with a Li-Pb eutectic melt at 550 and 670 K, was conducted. It was found that cladding plasticity was m aintained at the level of 15.6-25.8% and corrosion did not exceed 0.16 mm/y under standard modes of testing. In several cases characteristic s of the cladding material changed substantially. For example, plastic ity reduced to 3.1-4.4% and the corrosion rate reached 1.6 mm/y. The r esults obtained led to the conclusion that non-standard parameters of these tests (plumbing of gas outlet by Li-Pb eutectic, temperature spl ashes during sampling, etc.) had an essential influence on the observe d cladding property degradation.