Corrosion and mechanical properties of hot-rolled 0.5%Gd-0.8%B-stainless steels in a simulated nuclear waste treatment solution

Abstract

Corrosion and mechanical behavior of the hot-rolled 0.5%Gd-0.8%B-stainless steel to develop a spent nuclear fuel storage material was studied in a simulated nuclear waste treatment condition with rolling condition. The austenite and ferrite phases of the 0.5%Gd-0.8%B-stainless steels are about 88:12. The average austenite and ferrite grain size of the plane normal to rolling, transverse and normal directions of the hot rolled specimens are about 5.08, 8.94, 19.35, 23.29, 26.00 and 18.11 [μm], respectively. The average micro-hardness of the as-cast specimen is 200.4 Hv, whereas, that of the hot-rolled specimen are 220.1, 204.7 and 203.5 [Hv] for the plane normal to RD, TD and ND, respectively. The UTS, YS and elongation of the as-cast and the hot-rolled specimen are 699, 484 [MPa], 34.0%, and 654, 432 [MPa] and 33.3%, respectively. The passivity was observed both for the as-cast and the hot rolled specimens in a simulated nuclear waste solution. The corrosion potential and corrosion rate of the as-casted specimens are −343 [mVSHE] and 3.26×10−7 [A/cm2], whereas, those of the hot rolled specimens with normal to ND, RD and TD are −630, −512 and −620 [mVSHE] and 6.12×10−7, 1.04×10−6 and 6.92×10−7 [A/cm2], respectively. Corrosion tends to occur preferentially Cr and B rich area. Keywords: Gd-B-stainless steel, Corrosion, Neutron absorbing materials