A comparative study on the corrosion resistance and microstructure stability of Fe-Ni-Cr-Al-Si based austenitic steel in lead-bismuth eutectic with 10-6 wt.% oxygen at 600 and 650°C for up to 6000 h

• Fe–Ni–Cr–Al–Si steels were exposed to Pb-Bi (C O =10 -6 wt.%) at 600–650°C up to 6000 h. • Their long-term corrosion resistance and microstructure stability were evaluated • At 600°C, 17Ni14Cr3Al1Si, 17Ni14Cr0Al3Si, and 15Ni14Cr3Al1Si met both criteria. • At 650°C, only 15Ni14Cr3Al1Si met both criteria. Six austenitic stainless steels with compositions in the range of Fe–(15∼17)Ni–(12∼14)Cr–(0∼3)Al–(0∼3)Si–1Nb–0.1Y–0.2C were developed and their corrosion resistance and microstructure stability were systematically evaluated in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic containing 10 -6 wt.% oxygen at 600°C and 650°C for up to 6000 h. The results revealed that at 600°C, the steels 17Ni14Cr3Al1Si, 17Ni14Cr3Si, and 15Ni14Cr3Al1Si demonstrated excellent long-term corrosion resistance and retained stable microstructures. However, at 650°C, only 15Ni14Cr3Al1Si maintained both corrosion resistance and microstructure stability, indicating its suitability for high-temperature lead-bismuth eutectic environments.