Interaction Behavior between Lanthanide Element and Ferritic-Martensitic Steel

A study has been carried out to evaluate the interaction behavior between a lanthanide element and clad material in order to analyze the effect of the lanthanide element on the fuel cladding chemical interaction (FCCI). A diffusion couple test between Misch metal (70Ce-30La) and ferritic-martensitic steel (Gr.92) was performed at 660 degrees C, followed by a microstructural analysis of the coupled sample. The results showed that Ce in the Misch metal, rather than La, reacted with the ferritic-martensitic steel (FMS) to form an interaction layer that penetrated the clad thickness. Fe diffused outside the clad interface to form an Fe(2)Ce compound, leaving a depletion of Fe caused by excess diffusion as well as by the formation of Cr-rich precipitation inside the interaction layer. The rate of growth followed the cubic rate law, which indicated that Fe depletion was caused by the diffusion of Fe and that the associated Cr-rich phase formation controlled the whole diffusion process.