The United States of America As Represented by the United States

David S Gelles

Michael K Korenko

Roger W Powell

Gerald D Johnson

Ralph J Lobsinger

Nasr M Ghoniem

Margaret L Hamilton

Larry E Thomas

This is a very narrowly defined martensitic steel alloy fuel cladding material for liquid metal cooled reactors, and a process for making such a martensitic steel alloy material. The alloy contains about 10.6 wt. % chromium, about 1.5 wt. % molybdenum, about 0.85 wt. % manganese, about 0.2 wt. % niobium, about 0.37 wt. % silicon, about 0.2 wt. % carbon, about 0.2 wt. % vanadium, 0.05 maximum wt. % nickel, about 0.015 wt. % nitrogen, about 0.015 wt. % sulfur, about 0.05 wt. % copper, about 0.007 wt. % boron, about 0.007 wt. % phosphorous, and with the remainder being essentially iron. The process utilizes preparing such an alloy and homogenizing said alloy at about 1000.degree. C. for 16 hours; annealing said homogenized alloy at 1150.degree. C. for 15 minutes; and tempering said annealed alloy at 700.degree. C. for 2 hours. The material exhibits good high temperature strength (especially long stress rupture life) at elevated temperature (500.degree.-760.degree. C.).

Process for making a martensitic steel alloy fuel cladding product

Low activation ferritic alloys, specifically bainitic and martensitic stainless steels, are described for use in the production of structural components for nuclear fusion reactors. They are designed specifically to achieve low activation characteristics suitable for efficient waste disposal. The alloys essentially exclude molybdenum, nickel, nitrogen and niobium. Strength is achieved by substituting vanadium, tungsten, and/or tantalum in place of the usual molybdenum content in such alloys.

Low activation ferritic alloys

Described herein are nickel-chromium-iron maraging, gamma prime strengthened superalloys containing about 18 to 25 weight percent nickel, about 4 to 8 weight percent chromium, gamma prime forming elements such as aluminum and/or titanium, and a solid solution strengthening element, such as molybdenum. After heat treatment, which includes at least one ausaging treatment and at least one maraging treatment, a microstructure containing gamma prime phase and decomposed Fe-Ni-Cr type martensite is produced.

Maraging superalloys and heat treatment processes

Growing community of inventors

West Richland, WA, United States of America

David S Gelles