High Borated Stainless Steel Alloys for Nuclear Reactor Domains

Austenite stainless steel industry in the nuclear domain still needs further progress for better performance, quality and safety for being the major construction nuclear materials of different components of nuclear reactors. One grade of stainless steel with fundamental composition of SS316 and other having B (SS316B) was designed. The macroscopic cross sections for neutrons were carried out by 241Am-Be neutron source, the results confirm that borated stainless steels fulfill the requirements of having a proper shielding material that achieve the necessary safety conditions. Samples of the modified steels were subjected to microstructure observations, hardness, impact and tensile testing. In addition, the corrosion behavior of the modified steels in 3.5 wt% NaCl medium was examined. The microstructure observation showed mainly an austenitic phase in all modified steels. By using scanning electron microscope with conjugation with EDX technique, secondary phase is observed with different morphology and size at the austenite matrix of the other studied steel. Certainly, this change is mainly attributed to form the carbide element as boron. The investigated steels alloys containing B showed lower corrosion rate and higher mechanical properties than the standard alloy.