Effect of Trace Amount Tungsten on Long-term Material Properties of High Cr Steels

Abstract

The applicability of high chromium (Cr) steel as the main structural material in fast breeder reactors (FBR) has been explored to enhance the safety, the credibility and the economic competitiveness of FBR power plants. Tungsten (W) is believed to improve the high temperature strength of high Cr steels by solid-solution strengthening mechanism, although the long-term effectiveness and stability of such a strengthening mechanism has not fully been understood yet. High Cr steels controlling W content are produced and tensile tests, creep tests, aging tests and charpy impact tests were conducted to investigate the long-term material properties. It was observed that the short-term creep strength could be improved by W. However, there is almost no influence of W on the long-term creep strength. And it was observed that the impact properties after aging could be improved by decreasing of W. It was found that the optimal W content for excellent high Cr steel of FBR grade are < 0.1 wt. %, under FBR operating conditions.