Microstructure stability of candidate stainless steels for Gen-IV SCWR fuel cladding application

In the past few years, significant progress has been made in materials selection for Gen-IV SCWR fuel cladding applications. Current studies indicate that austenite stainless steels such as 310H are promising candidates for in-core applications. Alloys in this group are promising for their corrosion resistance, SCC resistance, high temperature mechanical properties and creep resistance at temperatures up to 700°C. However, one under-studied area of this alloy is the long-term microstructure stability under the proposed reactor operating condition. Unstable microstructure not only results in embrittlement but also has the potential to reduce their resistance to corrosion or stress-corrosion cracking. In this study, stainless steels 310H and 304H were tested for their SCWR corrosion resistance and microstructure stability.