Designation of alloy composition of reduced-activation martensitic steel

Abstract

An alloy composition of reduced-activation martensitic steel for fusion reactor is designed on the basis of the experimental results of postirradiation microstructure, mechanical properties, such as creep, fracture toughness and tensile properties, hydrogen effects and corrosion. At present, a desired composition of the steel is 0.1C-0.05Si-0.5Mn-9Cr-2W-0.25V-0.02Ti-0.05Ta- < 0.002S- < 0.002P by weight percent. Effects of the other minor elements such as Al, Zr and B are also inspected. An addition of 0.05 wt% Ta increases the high temperature strength but reduces the fracture toughness. Susceptibility to hydrogen-induced cracking is reduced by an addition of 0.03 wt% Al, though it results in a severe degradation of the fracture toughness. An addition of 30 wppm B together with the addition of 0.02 wt% Ti increases the fracture toughness. Void nucleation at grain boundaries, however, is enhanced by the B addition under the FFTF irradiation at 638 K in 10 dpa.