Materials Development for Fast Breeder Reactor Cores

Perspectives on radiation effects in nickel-base alloys for applications in advanced reactors

“…A more intensive investigation of the irradiation performance of the Ni-base alloys was initiated with the advent of the LMFBR materials programs in Europe and in the US [7,8] in the early 1970s. The data generated by the US program were reported in a series of quarterly progress reports issued by the US National Cladding/Duct Materials Development Program.…”

“…In the present paper, we reexamine some of the past work on radiation effects in Ni-base alloys; because of its importance, we also include a discussion of Alloy 800 which is an Fe-base alloy containing $33%Ni. Much of the work covered here was carried out in the US National Cladding and Duct program for the liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor (LMFBR), which was pursued by the US Department of Energy in the approximate timeframe 1974-1982 [7,8]. Extensive research was carried out by programs in the EU during that period and particular aspects of that work are also summarized here.…”

“…These unfavorable results were generally ascribed to helium embrittlement with little or no direct microstructural evidence from scanning or transmission electron microscopy. Subsequently, the Ni-base superalloys were selected as the initial focus of an effort to develop cladding and duct alloys for the sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor programs that were vigorously pursued in the US [7,8], and in Europe. These alloys formed one of several approaches to overcoming the void swelling problem discovered in the 300 types of austenitic stainless steels.…”

The Development of Breeder Reactors in the United States

“…The three sources of problems affecting selection of structural materials for fuel cladding and duct walls (45) of LMFBRs are neutron fluence, high temperature, and high stress, from deformation offuel and structures. These can reduce strength and local cooling capability.…”

Austenitizing and microstructure of a HT-9 steel

“…The ferritic 12Cr-lMo-V-W steel known as HT-9 has been selected for investigation as an alternative to austenitic stainless steel for duct applications in liquid metal fast breeder reactors [1]. The HT-9 steel shows resistance to swelling [2] and irradiation creep [3][4] in neutron environments.…”