Materials for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors: Vessels, Piping, Internals, and Cladding.

Abstract

Materials selection for liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) primary systems including the vessel, piping, heat exchanger, steam generator, core internals, and fuel cladding is reviewed on the basis of a logic chain. Based on this approach the austenitic stainless steels appear to be the most acceptable candidates for first generation demonstration LMFBRs. However, several real or potential problems exist with these or other materials when exposed to the LMFBR environment including temperature, neutron fluence and sodium. Specific problems discussed are creep-fatigue interactions resulting in reduced component life, sigma or chi phase embrittlement, thermal sensitization, possible stress corrosion, and void formation and swelling of core internals and fuel cladding when exposed to high neutron fluences at proposed reactor temperatures. tf4h\^ j §.