Influence of Si addition on the corrosion behavior of 9Cr ferritic/martensitic steel in static liquid lead-bismuth eutectic

Abstract This study investigated the corrosion behavior of 9Cr ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steel with varying silicon contents when exposed to static lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at temperatures between 450 °C and 550 °C. Except for samples corroded at 450 °C for 500 h, which developed a bilayer consisting of magnetite layer and Fe-Cr spinel layer, the oxide scale at 450 °C and 500 °C consists of exterior magnetite layer, Fe-Cr spinel layer, and irregular internal oxide zone. The addition of Si improved the LBE corrosion resistance of 9Cr F/M steels at low temperatures. At 550 °C, most of samples experienced dissolution corrosion. However, Si addition effectively retarded this process.