Abstract
The behavior of low-activation 12% chromium ferritic-martensitic steel EK-181 (RUSFER-EK181) is investigated during holding in an oxygen-containing lead melt at 600 °C for 3000 h. Following this exposure, a 5 to 45 µm bi-layer oxide scale is formed on steel surface. Its outer and inner layers represent oxide films mainly enriched with iron and chromium, respectively. The X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy analyses show that the oxide scale is primarily represented by particles of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 iron oxides, and to a lesser extent by Cr2O3 chromium oxides. A chromium-depleted region of the matrix several micrometers thick is found under the scale layer. It is shown that the bulk microstructure of steel retains its stability during long-term exposure in liquid lead. No qualitative changes are observed after such exposure.
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