Elevated temperature ferritic and martensitic steels and their application to future nuclear reactors

In the 1970s, high chromium (9–12%Cr) ferritic/martensitic steels became candidates for elevated temperature applications in the core of fast reactors. Steels developed for conventional power plants, such as Sandvik HT9, a nominally Fe–12Cr–1Mo–0·5W–0·5Ni–0·25V–0·2C steel (composition in wt-%), were considered in the USA, Europe and Japan. Now, a new generation of fission reactors is in the planning stage, and ferritic, bainitic and martensitic...