Microstructure and mechanical property of ferritic–martensitic steel cladding under a 650 °C liquid sodium environment

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of liquid sodium on the microstructural and mechanical property of ferritic–martensitic steel (FMS) used for a Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) cladding tube. A quasi-dynamic device characterized by natural circulation was constructed and a compatibility test between FMS and liquid sodium was performed. HT9 (12Cr–1MoWVN) and Gr.92 (9Cr–2WNbVNB) coupons as well as a Gr.92 cladding tube were immersed in the 650 °C liquid sodium up to 3095 h and a microstructural observation, a mechanical property evaluation such as nanoindentation, and a ring tension test were also done in this study. The results showed that both HT9 and Gr.92 exhibited macroscopic weight loss behavior where pitting and decarburization took place. Weight loss as well as the decarburization process decreased as the chromium content increased. A compatibility test over the cladding tube revealed that a decrease of the mechanical property caused by the aging process governed the whole mechanical property of the cladding tube.