The effect of pH agents on corrosion and low cycle fatigue behaviors of 316L stainless steel in boron-free small modular reactor environments

IF 7.4 1区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Corrosion Science Pub Date : 2025-07-16 DOI:10.1016/j.corsci.2025.113196

Hasan Izhar Khan, Hyeon Bae Lee, Changheui Jang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Recently, boron-free primary coolant environments have been incorporated into several small modular reactor (SMR) designs, replacing the typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) chemistry based on LiOH and boric acid. In these boron-free SMRs, KOH and NH₃ are considered as alternative pH control agents to replace LiOH. Nonetheless, austenitic stainless steels continue to be widely used as structural materials, as in PWRs, and thus, the assessment of corrosion-related damage in alternative pH agent environments is necessary. This study investigates the corrosion and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviors of 316 L SS in boron-free SMR environments with KOH and NH₃. Results indicate that the corrosion and LCF behaviors of 316 L SS in these alternative pH agents are comparable to those in the PWR environment. The corrosion and crack tip oxide layer thickness vary between the two test environments, though the behavior of constituent elements remained similar. A comparison of microstructural and mechanical properties among the two tested environments, with the LiOH environment from the literature, is further discussed.

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pH剂对316L不锈钢在无硼小型模块化反应器环境下腐蚀和低周疲劳行为的影响

最近，一些小型模块化反应堆（SMR）设计中加入了无硼主冷却剂环境，取代了基于LiOH和硼酸的典型压水堆（PWR）化学。在这些无硼smr中，KOH和NH3被认为是替代LiOH的替代pH控制剂。尽管如此，奥氏体不锈钢仍然被广泛用作结构材料，如压水堆，因此，在替代pH剂环境中评估腐蚀相关损伤是必要的。研究了316 L SS在含KOH和NH3的无硼SMR环境中的腐蚀和低周疲劳行为。结果表明，316 L SS在不同pH条件下的腐蚀和LCF行为与在压水堆环境中的腐蚀和LCF行为相当。两种测试环境下的腐蚀和裂纹尖端氧化层厚度有所不同，但组成元素的行为基本相同。进一步讨论了两种测试环境的微观结构和力学性能的比较，并与文献中的LiOH环境进行了比较。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Corrosion Science 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

13.60

自引率

18.10%

发文量

763

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Corrosion occurrence and its practical control encompass a vast array of scientific knowledge. Corrosion Science endeavors to serve as the conduit for the exchange of ideas, developments, and research across all facets of this field, encompassing both metallic and non-metallic corrosion. The scope of this international journal is broad and inclusive. Published papers span from highly theoretical inquiries to essentially practical applications, covering diverse areas such as high-temperature oxidation, passivity, anodic oxidation, biochemical corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and corrosion control mechanisms and methodologies. This journal publishes original papers and critical reviews across the spectrum of pure and applied corrosion, material degradation, and surface science and engineering. It serves as a crucial link connecting metallurgists, materials scientists, and researchers investigating corrosion and degradation phenomena. Join us in advancing knowledge and understanding in the vital field of corrosion science.