Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
1873-4820
abstract
Three new multi-phase alumina-forming steels with compositions Fe-(10¿14.5)Cr-(10¿12)Ni-3.5Al (wt.%) were exposed to stagnant lead at 550 and 650 degrees C for up to 1000 h The experimental alloys formed stable and protective alumina (Al2O3) layers at both temperatures, crucial for preventing lead penetration and material degradation. In contrast, 316 L and T91 steels, candidate materials for nuclear applications, showed significant oxidation and lead penetration, particularly at the higher temperature. The designed alloys retained their mechanical properties after exposure, with one of them even increasing yield strength due to phase transformations. The findings highlight the potential of these new alloys with no reactive elements and no thermomechanical treatments, to operate in environments with high-temperature liquid lead, such as Gen IV nuclear reactors or high-temperature concentrated solar power plants.