Mechanical and corrosion behaviour of EUROFER 97 steel exposed to Pb–17Li G. Benamati, C. Fazio * , I. Ricapito Association ENEA-EURATOM, Fusion Division, CR ENEA Brasimone, 40032 Camugnano, Bologna, Italy Abstract Corrosion and tensile samples of the EUROFER 97 steel were exposed to Pb–17Li in the LIFUS II loop at 480 °C. The specimens were extracted after 1500, 3000 and 4500 h exposure. After extraction, weight change measurements and metallurgical analysis were performed on the corrosion specimens, while tensile tests were performed at 480 °C. The results showed that EUROFER 97 underwent uniform corrosion and the mechanical properties seem to be unaffected or only slightly affected by the liquid metal. In this paper, the results are reported and discussed also with reference to previous similar work. Ó 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The eutectic lead–lithium containing 87 at.% of Pb and 17 at.% of Li (Pb–17Li) is considered in the water cooled lead lithium (WCLL) concept of a fusion reactor as the most suitable tritium breeding material [1]. The advantages of using Pb–17Li are due to the nuclear properties of the eutectic, since breeder and neutron multiplier are combined in the same material; and to the chemical properties, since the eutectic does not exhibit an explosive reaction when in contact with air and water [1,2]. On the other hand, one of the disadvantages that could be envisaged by choosing the liquid eutectic Pb– 17Li as breeder is its compatibility with structural ma- terials. A major candidate as structural material in the WCLL concept is one of a reduced activation ferritic martensitic (RAFM) steel. In recent years, much effort has been expended within the European Fusion Tech- nology Programme in order to develop appropriate RAFM steels. The importance of this wide research programme is for example due to safety requirements, in which it is mandatory to minimise problems associated with induced radioactivity in the structural materials. Several ferritic–martensitic steels, such as MANET, OPTIFER, F82H and so on, have been developed worldwide. In Europe, the progress of the research ac- tivities has resulted in the formulation of the RAFM steel named EUROFER 97. In normal use, a newly developed material needs general characterisation in terms of its mechanical and chemical properties, as well as characterisation for the specific application. A char- acterisation of concern in the WCLL concept is the compatibility of the newly developed steel in terms of corrosion and mechanical degradation in the liquid flowing Pb–17Li. A second type of test of great in- terest for the WCLL concept is the mechanical prop- erty degradation of the steel when exposed to the liquid metal, and under neutron irradiation. For this latter effect, few experimental results are available and ENEA, in collaboration with IPPE of Obninsk (RF), is planning an experimental campaign under the auspices of the ISTC in order to analyse thoroughly this phe- nomenon. The aim of the activities conducted and herein pre- sented were to evaluate the mechanical, and later the corrosion behaviour of the EUROFER 97 steel before and after exposure to the proposed breeder material. Both tensile and corrosion specimens were exposed to Journal of Nuclear Materials 307–311 (2002) 1391–1395 www.elsevier.com/locate/jnucmat * Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-534 801 463; fax: +39-534 801 225. E-mail address: concetta@brasimone.enea.it (C. Fazio). 0022-3115/02/$ - see front matter Ó 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII:S0022-3115(02)00990-X