Corrosion Behavior of CLAM in Liquid LiPb Alloy at 480°C

Abstract

China Low Activation Martensitic steel (CLAM), which is one of the RAFMs (Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steels) and under development in ASIPP, is considered as the primary candidate structural material and LiPb eutectic as both tritium breeder and coolant of the blankets in FDS series fusion reactors. The corrosion behavior of CLAM steel exposed to the liquid breeder LiPb is of significance. Corrosion tests of CLAM in flowing LiPb at 480°C were performed up to about 2000 hrs to analyze the corrosion mechanism of CLAM exposed to liquid LiPb. The specimens were observed and analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) after 500hrs, 1000hrs and 2000hrs corrosion experiment respectively. The corrosion is of non-uniform and the weight loss was about 0.23 mg/cm2 after 2000 hrs’ exposure, which is smaller for CLAM compared to those of other RAFMs.