| Abstract Scope |
The IVth generation molten salt nuclear reactor (MSR) designs intend to use molten halide salts, fluoride or chloride, as coolant. However, molten halides are corrosive at high temperatures, and the selective dissolution of active alloying elements is the predominant corrosion mechanism. The extent of selective dissolution depends on the redox potential of the salt, which in turn depends on the impurities present in the salt. However, the effect of applied stress on corrosion of alloys in molten halides is not very well understood. We systematically evaluated the effect of applied stress on corrosion of 316 stainless steel in FLiNaK. To understand this, static immersion tests were conducted using C-ring 316SS samples, loaded at various stress levels, for up to 2000 hours. Additionally, synergistic effect of oxidizing impurity and stress on the extent of corrosion was evaluated. Results from optical microscopy, SEM, and EDS analysis of tested samples will be presented. |