The use of lead as a primary coolant is one of the most attractive options for next-generation lead-cooled fast reactor systems (LFR). Despite many favourable features, liquid Pb is a harsh environment that induces many problems on metallic components. Therefore, candidate materials for LFR must be qualified, and the solutions to improve their properties must be found. This paper’s objective is to present the results obtained from the tensile tests of AISI 316L steel in liquid lead at 400 °C, 450 °C, and 500 °C, and the short-term corrosion tests performed on coated and uncoated AISI 316L steel at 550 °C. The coating was made of Al₂O₃ with a CrNiAlY interlayer using the electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) technique. Both the mechanical and corrosion tests were performed in stagnant lead saturated with oxygen. After testing, the specimens were characterised by several analyses, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), optical microscopy (OM), scratching test, and Vickers micro-hardness test. The tensile test results highlight the ductile behaviour of the material, and in the case of the corrosion tests, the coatings prove to be effective in protecting the substrate from the harsh environment.

The Zr-2.5%Nb alloy used to manufacture the pressure tubes for the CANDU 600 power plant experiences continual corrosion when the reactor’s fuel channels are functioning normally. Analysis of the hydrogen accumulation circumstances, the creation of zirconium hydride platelets, evaluation of the platelets’ reorientation in the thermo–mechanical field at volumetric flaws, and determination of the hydrogen morphology are therefore significant goals of the worldwide research being conducted in this field. In this paper, pressure tube alloy samples with artificial V flaws were hydrided by the technique of electrolytic deposition of a hydrogen film layer, followed by a specific thermal treatment. Micrographs of the Zr-2.5%Nb alloy samples in the radial cross-section were taken to examine the hydride reorientation phenomenon that occurred when the samples were heated under mechanical stress. The complex stress field around a tip flaw promoted the formation of some circles from hydride filaments. To characterize the zirconium hydride morphology in the reorientation zone at the volumetric flaw tip, image analysis and processing techniques were applied. To better characterize the reorientation zone from the point of view of embrittlement and mechanical behavior, this paper proposes a novel metric for the morphology of hydrides located in the reorientation zone. This work’s findings are beneficial for the investigation of CANDU fuel channels’ structural integrity.

In some Generation IV reactor configurations, embrittlement of the liquid metal can manifest in various forms, and this behaviour strongly depends on the specific solid–liquid couple. For the ALFRED demonstrator, which will be built at the RATEN ICN site in Romania, the study of embrittlement induced by molten lead in 316L stainless steel at temperatures of 350–450 °C is of interest. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the effect of liquid metal embrittlement on the fracture mechanics properties of 316L tested in liquid lead. To do this, the “Normalisation Data Reduction Technique” (ASTM E1820) is used to obtain the J-R resistance curve for 316L steel in molten lead. In this way, the fracture mechanics parameters were obtained, indicating the fracture toughness of 316L steel in liquid lead with a saturated oxygen concentration at 350 °C. Optical and SEM examinations complement the analyses.