Structural Materials for Heavy Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors

The compatibility of structural materials, such as steels with lead and lead-bismuth eutectic, poses a critical challenge in the development of heavy liquid metal (HLM) cooled fast reactors. Factors such as the high temperatures, fast neutron flux and irradiation exposure and corrosiveness provide a severe environment for the materials in these advanced reactor systems. The compatibility of liquid coolant with structural materials is critical for the development of innovative nuclear energy systems. To understand the current status of the research and development in this area as well as to provide a forum to exchange information on structural materials for HLM cooled reactors at the national and international levels, the IAEA organized a technical meeting. This resulted in the current publication which presents the summaries of the technical and the group sessions, conclusions and recommendations, and the papers presented at the event.