THE EFFECT OF YTTRIUM VARIATION ON THE CORROSION PROPERTIES OF AUSTENITIC STEEL 15-15TI IN PB ENVIRONMENT AT 550°C FOR GENERATION IV REACTORS

• Main Author: Ezra, Deysel
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81606
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Substitution of sources to nuclear energy has become one of the advanced technologies, followed by the development of nuclear reactors that have now reached Generation IV. Generation IV reactors have improved safety and energy efficiency compared to previous generations. One of these is the lead-cooled fast reactor, which uses lead (Pb) as its coolant. Using lead as a coolant has both advantages and disadvantages. However, one issue that needs attention is the corrosion phenomenon that can affect components within the reactor. This issue can be minimized by manufacturing the appropriate materials. These materials must be corrosion-resistant and capable of withstanding high temperatures. One type of such material is austenitic steel. Austenitic steel is known for its corrosion resistance. Additionally, the addition of yttrium to austenitic steel will be investigated in this research to determine its effect on the corrosion properties of austenitic steel. In this research, material synthesis, and characterization before and after the corrosion test will be conducted. The material synthesis will use the casting method. Then, the material characterization before the corrosion test will be performed using several methods, such as an Optical Microscope and SEM-EDS. The Optical Microscope shows that each sample has austenitic grains, and the EDS results support the homogeneity of the sample's constituent elements. The corrosion test will be conducted in a Pb environment for 75 hours at a temperature of 550°C. The corrosion-tested samples will be analyzed using SEM-EDS. The results indicate the formation of an oxide layer on Sample III but not on Sample I. The oxide layer was only found in Sample III. The analysis shows that the addition of yttrium plays a role in the formation of the oxide layer.