Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review
Austenitic stainless steels are selected as candidate materials for in-core and out-of-core components of Generation-IV fast reactors due to their excellent operating experience in light-water reactors over several decades. However, the performance of conventional austenitic stainless steels proves...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Crystals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/268 |
| _version_ | 1827757971407372288 |
|---|---|
| author | Shenghu Chen Ang Xie Xinliang Lv Sihan Chen Chunguang Yan Haichang Jiang Lijian Rong |
| author_facet | Shenghu Chen Ang Xie Xinliang Lv Sihan Chen Chunguang Yan Haichang Jiang Lijian Rong |
| author_sort | Shenghu Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Austenitic stainless steels are selected as candidate materials for in-core and out-of-core components of Generation-IV fast reactors due to their excellent operating experience in light-water reactors over several decades. However, the performance of conventional austenitic stainless steels proves to be inadequate through operation feedback in fast reactors. To withstand the demands for material performance exposure to the extreme operating environment of fast reactors, modified austenitic stainless steels for in-core and out-of-core components have been developed from the first-generation 300-series steels. The design of an appropriate microstructure becomes a top priority for improving material performance, and key metallurgical features including δ-ferrite content, grain size and secondary phase precipitation pertinent to austenitic stainless steel are focused on in this paper. δ-ferrite content and grain size are closely correlated with the fabrication program and their effects on mechanical properties, especially creep and fatigue properties are critically assessed. Moreover, the impacts of some major elements including nitrogen, stabilization elements (Nb, Ti, V), phosphorus and boron on secondary phase precipitation behaviors during aging or creep are reviewed in detail. Based on the role of the aforementioned metallurgical features, the recommended specification of nitrogen content, stabilization ratio, phosphorus content, boron content, δ-ferrite content and grain size are put forward to guarantee the best-expected performance, which could provide reactors designers with attractive options to optimize fast reactor systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74dc89183cb44fec980ff484e1ce8829 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-74dc89183cb44fec980ff484e1ce88292023-11-16T19:55:50ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522023-02-0113226810.3390/cryst13020268Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A ReviewShenghu Chen0Ang Xie1Xinliang Lv2Sihan Chen3Chunguang Yan4Haichang Jiang5Lijian Rong6Key Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaKey Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaKey Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaKey Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaChina Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), Beijing 102413, ChinaKey Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaKey Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaAustenitic stainless steels are selected as candidate materials for in-core and out-of-core components of Generation-IV fast reactors due to their excellent operating experience in light-water reactors over several decades. However, the performance of conventional austenitic stainless steels proves to be inadequate through operation feedback in fast reactors. To withstand the demands for material performance exposure to the extreme operating environment of fast reactors, modified austenitic stainless steels for in-core and out-of-core components have been developed from the first-generation 300-series steels. The design of an appropriate microstructure becomes a top priority for improving material performance, and key metallurgical features including δ-ferrite content, grain size and secondary phase precipitation pertinent to austenitic stainless steel are focused on in this paper. δ-ferrite content and grain size are closely correlated with the fabrication program and their effects on mechanical properties, especially creep and fatigue properties are critically assessed. Moreover, the impacts of some major elements including nitrogen, stabilization elements (Nb, Ti, V), phosphorus and boron on secondary phase precipitation behaviors during aging or creep are reviewed in detail. Based on the role of the aforementioned metallurgical features, the recommended specification of nitrogen content, stabilization ratio, phosphorus content, boron content, δ-ferrite content and grain size are put forward to guarantee the best-expected performance, which could provide reactors designers with attractive options to optimize fast reactor systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/268fast reactoraustenitic stainless steelimproved performanceδ-ferritegrain sizesecondary phase evolution |
| spellingShingle | Shenghu Chen Ang Xie Xinliang Lv Sihan Chen Chunguang Yan Haichang Jiang Lijian Rong Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review Crystals fast reactor austenitic stainless steel improved performance δ-ferrite grain size secondary phase evolution |
| title | Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review |
| title_full | Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review |
| title_short | Tailoring Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel with Improved Performance for Generation-IV Fast Reactor Application: A Review |
| title_sort | tailoring microstructure of austenitic stainless steel with improved performance for generation iv fast reactor application a review |
| topic | fast reactor austenitic stainless steel improved performance δ-ferrite grain size secondary phase evolution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/268 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shenghuchen tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT angxie tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT xinlianglv tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT sihanchen tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT chunguangyan tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT haichangjiang tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview AT lijianrong tailoringmicrostructureofausteniticstainlesssteelwithimprovedperformanceforgenerationivfastreactorapplicationareview |