This document provides an overview of stainless steel, including its introduction, production, classification, characteristics, and applications in the nuclear industry and nuclear power industry. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium and sometimes nickel that forms a protective oxide layer to resist corrosion. It is produced through processes like argon-oxygen decarburization and vacuum-oxygen decarburization. The document discusses the use of various stainless steel grades in applications like nuclear fuel processing, waste treatment, light water reactors, sodium cooling reactors, and components of steam power plants.

1. TOPIC

2. Muhammad Umair
Bukhari
Engr.umair.bukhari@gmail.com
http://onlinemetallurgy.com

3. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
 INTRODUCTION
 PRODUCTION
 CLASSIFICATION
 CHARACTERISTIC
 APPLICATION IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
 APPLICATION IN NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY

4. INTRODUCTION
 Stainless steels constitute a group of high-alloy steels based on the Fe-Cr,
Fe-Cr-C, and Fe-Cr-Ni systems.
 It must contain a minimum of 10.5 wt% chromium.
 The chromium allows formation of a passive surface oxide that prevents
oxidation and corrosion.
 Some steels that contain less than 11 wt% Cr, such as the 9 wt% Cr alloys
used in power generation applications.
 Stainless steels also have good resistance to oxidation, even at high
temperatures.
 Some high chromium alloys (25 to 30 wt%) can be used at temperatures as
high as 1000oC (1830oF).

5. CONT……..
 Stainless steels are used in a wide variety of applications, such
as a power generation, in nuclear industry, chemical and
paper processing, and in many commercial products.

6. PRODUCTION OF STAINLESS STEEL
 Stainless steel is produced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
 Melting of stainless steels was revolutionized by the introduction of
argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) and vacuum-oxygen
decarburization (VOD) techniques.
 Using the AOD process, a mixture of argon and oxygen is injected
into the motlen steel. The oxygen combines with the carbon to form
carbon monoxide to achieve the desired carbon content.
 The process using VOD is similar, except that the argon carrier gas
is not necessary and oxygen is injected directly into the melt. By this
process we achieve the desired carbon content and reduce the
residual sulfur content to as low as 0.001 wt%.
 Following the refining process, the steel can be poured into ingot
molds or transferred directly to a continuous casting machine.

7. CLASSIFICATION OF STAINLESS STEELS
Stainless steels are commonly divided into five
groups.
1.Martensitic stainless steels
2. Ferritic stainless steels
3.Duplex stainless steels
4.Austenitic stainless steels
5.Precipitation-hardening stainless steels

8. CHARACTERISTICS OF STAINLESS
STEELS
• Higher work hardening rate
• Higher ductility
• Higher strength and hardness
• Higher corrosion resistance
• Possess higher tensile and yield strengths
• Good ductility and formability
• Good machinability

9. APPLICATION IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
 Hydrometallurgy of Uranium. Uranium minerals should undergo
working procedures including acid pickling/ alkali pickling-solvent
lixiviating-solvent extracting-denitration, to form U3O8 in the end. The
application of stainless steel in the above technique process is shown in the
following table.
Material Position
Carbon steel
0Cr17Ni12Mo2
liquid-gas interface of the lixiviating
slot
00Cr19Ni10 Evaporator
0Cr18Ni9 Pipes
0Cr26Ni35MoCuTi Acid adding pipe, flange fastener
Air blowing pipe, plasma drainage
pipe, overflow pipe

10. CONTI…..
 Dissolving of fuel core
In dissolving the metal uranium, uranium oxide, and uranium-
aluminum fuel, nitric acid is widely used, material of solving
capsule commonly use 0Cr23Ni13Nb，00Cr19Ni10 .
 Treating equipment for high radioactive waste liquid
The high radioactive waste liquid is the compound medium
containing various waste gas and various high radioactive
liquids, it is highly corrosive, and often contains HNO3, sulfate
radical, iron ions, in treating this kind of waste liquid, leakage
must be strictly prevented, in case the environment is polluted,
material of the equipments should be 00Cr18Ni9 and
00Cr25Ni20Nb.

11. APPLICATION IN NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY
 Light-water reactor (LWR) The reactor used to provide power for
generating electricity, it is commonly cooled by water, and is generally
called light-water reactor (LWR). Light-water reactor can be divided to as
pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling-water reactor, PWR is the
mainstream type.
The following table shows stainless steel application conditions for
pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant.
Name Material
Reactor component 0Cr17Ni14Mo2
Main cooling pipe 0Cr18Ni10Ti
Auxiliary heat exchanger 0Cr18Ni9

12. CONTI….
Sodium Cooling Reactor
The fuel jacket material is improved 316 stainless steel that contains Ti.
00Cr18Ni12Mo2 is used in the sodium capsule and thermal loop . According to the
difference of temperature, the evaporator and super heater unit can use
0Cr18Ni10Ti, 0Cr17Ni14Mo2，0Cr18Ni9 .
 Primary Coolant Pipes Of Nuclear Power Plant
Primary coolant pipe is a key component of nuclear power plant (NPP) and
usually made from cast duplex stainless steels, for example Z3CN20.09M DSS.
Chemical composition of Z3CN20.09M cast duplex stainless steel (wt %).
 Fission Reactors
(Type 316LN austenitics stainless steel (0.03% C max, 17.0-18.0% Cr, 12.0-
12.5% Ni, 2.30-2.70% Mo, 0.06-0.08% N, 0.001-0.002% B, 0.030% Cu max,
0.25% Co max, 0.15% Nb+Ta+Ti max), which has been used as a fuel
element cladding material in fast fission reactors).
C Si Mn P S Cr Ni Cu Co Nb+T
a
B Mo N Ti
0.024 1.09 1.11 0.023 0.0039 20.16 9.06 0.031 0.026 0.066 0.0001 0.26 0.033 0.0027

13. CONT……
 Steam Power Plants .stainless steel is use in steam power
plant containing 9-12Cr steels for boiler (superheater and
reheater tubing, thick-walled pipes for steam lines and
headers)
 Turbine Components.
1. Rotors(12Cr-MoVNbB steel , 12Cr-MoVNbW steel)
2. Casings and Valve Bodies(9Cr-MoVNbW , 12Cr-MoVNb)
3. Turbine Blades(12Cr-MoVNbW ,12Cr-MoV )
4. Bolts(12Cr-MoNiV,12Cr-MoV )