Effects of chromium concentration on the uniform corrosion behavior of FeCrAl alloy in hydrogenated water

FeCrAl alloys are promising accident-tolerant fuel cladding candidates for light water reactors, where balancing irradiation and corrosion resistance is crucial. While lower Cr content generally enhances irradiation hardening resistance, its impact on high-temperature water corrosion remains unclear. Here, we systematically evaluated how Cr concentration (7–13 wt%) affects the uniform corrosion behavior of FeCrAl in simulated PWR environments. The experimental results showed that the metal loss due to corrosion reduces linearly with an increase in Cr concentration. Although 13 wt% Cr yields superior corrosion resistance, reducing Cr content to 7 wt% retains adequate corrosion resistance and demonstrates remarkable long-term stability, as evidenced by oxidation kinetics and nanoscale oxide characterization. These findings reveal that Cr reduction, potentially beneficial for irradiation resistance, does not significantly compromise corrosion performance, enabling cost-effective yet durable cladding designs.