Research Progress on Corrosion of Additively Manufactured Alloys Applied in Nuclear Energy Field

doi:10.11902/1005.4537.2025.288

Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection

2026, Vol. 46

Issue (1): 15-24 DOI: 10.11902/1005.4537.2025.288

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Research Progress on Corrosion of Additively Manufactured Alloys Applied in Nuclear Energy Field

DAI Nianwei¹^,²(

), DOU Xinyi¹, LIU Huajian¹, LENG Bin¹^,²

^1.Division of Materials Research, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
^2.State Key Laboratory of Thorium Energy, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201800, China

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DAI Nianwei, DOU Xinyi, LIU Huajian, LENG Bin. Research Progress on Corrosion of Additively Manufactured Alloys Applied in Nuclear Energy Field. Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection, 2026, 46(1): 15-24.

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Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, including laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), directed energy deposition (DED), and wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), have started a revolution in materials manufacturing due to their significant advantages such as high precision, high processing efficiency, capability for complex structures and material cost savings. These technologies demonstrate immense application potential in nuclear energy sectors, particularly in fabricating critical alloy components such as reactor cores, fuel claddings and advanced heat exchangers. However, the extreme environments within reactor systems including high temperatures, high pressures, radiation and highly corrosive media, put forward strict demands on the service performance of additively manufactured alloys. Among others, the corrosion resistance of alloys has become a primary focus of concern. This review summarizes recent research progress on corrosion behavior in simulated nuclear conditions of typical additively manufactured alloys, such as stainless steels, FeCrAl alloys and complex composition alloys etc. It comparatively examines the differences between AM alloys and conventionally forged counterparts, analyzing the influence of microstructural characteristics on corrosion mechanisms. Furthermore, the application prospects of additively manufactured alloys in future advanced nuclear energy systems are discussed.

Key words: additive manufacturing nuclear energy corrosion behavior microstructure localized corrosion stress corrosion

Received: 11 September 2025 32134.14.1005.4537.2025.288

ZTFLH:

TG147

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(12425511)

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	DAI Nianwei
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https://www.jcscp.org/EN/10.11902/1005.4537.2025.288 OR https://www.jcscp.org/EN/Y2026/V46/I1/15

Fig.1 Typical microstructures of LPBF-316L stainless steel：(a, b) optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of melt pools, (c) SEM image of pores, (d, e) inverse pole figure (IPF) maps of conventional and LPBF 316L stainless steel, (f, g) transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of subgrains and dislocation networks^[13,22]

Fig.2 Microstructural anisotropy (a-e) and differences in tensile cracking behavior before and after HIP treatment (f-h) in LPBF-316L stainless steel^[26]

Fig.3 Microstructures and corresponding corrosion characteristics of AM-produced FeCrAl and ODS-FeCrAl alloys in LBE: (a) longitudinal and transverse microstructures of PM C26M and APMT2 alloys, (b-g) SEM and focused ion beam (FIB) analysis of AMC26M samples after 12 months immersion in three autoclaves, (h-k) backscattered electron (BSE) images, IPF, band contrast and grain boundaries overlaid maps of ODS, (l) FIB thin foil for ODS, (m) high-angle annular dark-field (HADDF) image of oxide layer, (n) bright field (BF)-TEM image corresponding to Fig.3m, (o) HADDF image corresponding to Fig.3m and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) mappings^[35,42]

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