Study of Corrosion Behaviors of 316L Stainless Steel Welds in Liquid Lithium with Hydrogen Impurity

The corrosion behaviors of 316L stainless steel welds in stagnant liquid lithium and lithium with 0.2%H at 325°C for 1000 h was investigated by using weight loss method, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. After liquid Li corrosion, a large number of (M)₂₃C₆ and NiC_x particles (sizes of 1 ~ 2 μm) were found on the weld surface, while almost no such particles were found on the weld surface after corrosion in liquid Li with 0.2%H. The corrosion rates of welds were about 4.10 × 10⁻³  and 6.65 × 10⁻³ g · m⁻² · h⁻¹ in liquid Li and Li with 0.2%H, respectively, while the penetration depth of Li increased by 1.375 times after adding 0.2%H to Li. It was found that the penetration depth of Li was basically consistent with the dissolution depth of Cr, and the dissolution depth of Cr was larger than that of Ni and Fe in liquid Li and Li with 0.2%H.