Ferritic steels for sodium-cooled fast reactors: design principles and challenges

Abstract

An overview of the current status of development of ferritic steels for emerging fast reactor technologies is presented in this paper. The creep-resistant 9-12Cr ferritic/martensitic steels are classically known for steam generator applications. The excellent void swelling resistance of ferritic steels enabled the identification of their potential for core component applications of fast reactors. Since then, an extensive knowledge base has been generated by identifying the empirical correlations between chemistry of the steels, heat treatment, structure, and properties, in addition to their in-reactor behavior. A few concerns have also been identified which pertain to high-temperature irradiation creep, embrittlement, Type IV cracking in creep-loaded weldments, and hard zone formation in dissimilar joints. The origin of these problems and the methodologies to overcome the limitations are highlighted. Finally, the suitability of the ferritic steels is re-evaluated in the emerging scenario of the fast reactor technology, with a target of achieving better breeding ratio and improved thermal efficiency.