About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Additively Manufactured Materials for Nuclear Energy
|
| Presentation Title |
Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Steel for Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Applications: Processing and Corrosion Behaviour |
| Author(s) |
Lorenzo Notari, Enrico Virgillito, Alessandra Martucci, Daniele De Caro, Mariangela Lombardi, Francisco Garcia Ferrč |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lorenzo Notari |
| Abstract Scope |
Lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) require materials able to withstand harsh liquid-lead and neutron irradiation environments, with AM offering a route to geometrically complex components. This work investigates laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of a novel alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) steel, selected for protective Al₂O₃-scale formation, and its LFR-relevant corrosion behaviour.
Gas-atomized AFA powders were assessed by SEM, He-pycnometry and Hall flowmeter tests, confirming spherical morphology, negligible internal porosity and excellent flowability.
Single scan track (SST) trials were first performed and analysed by top-view and cross-sectional optical microscopy to define parameters for bulk fabrication. Fully dense bulk specimens were obtained, and the highest-build-rate condition achieving >99.9% density was selected for characterization. Optical/SEM microscopy, SEM-EDS and XRD confirmed fully austenitic microstructure without detectable segregation, while Vickers microhardness and tensile testing assessed mechanical response.
Corrosion was evaluated in molten lead at 600 °C and 10⁻⁷ wt.% oxygen, focusing on Al₂O₃ formation and dissolution resistance. |