Characterisation of corrosion damage in T91/F91 steel exposed to static liquid lead-bismuth eutectic at 700–715 °C

T91 samples were exposed to static liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 700-715°C for 250-500 hours in either an oxidising or reducing environment. Corrosion damage was characterised using electron microscopy techniques, which identified networks of LBE intrusion beneath LBE-wetted surfaces. Under reducing conditions these networks are uniformly distributed, while they appear patchier and deeper under oxidising conditions. The individual intrusions preferentially follow microstructural features, initially along prior-austenite grain boundaries, followed by penetration down martensite lath boundaries. Local depletion of Cr was observed within 4 μm of LBE intrusions and along intersecting boundaries, suggesting local Cr dissolution as the main corrosion mechanism.