High temperature alloys stability testing in impure helium

Within the national and international research program of materials for advanced nuclear reactors Czech organizations contributed with several tests of metallic alloys. The specimens of the alloys were first exposed in the long term (up to 1500 hours) in simulated advanced gas cooled reactor coolant environment at 750-900 °C. After exposure the degradation of tested materials was explored, especially changes in material microstructure, corrosion damage and corrosion layer composition and in some cases also changes in mechanical properties were observed. In this paper selected results of exposure tests in high temperature helium of alloy 800 H, austenitic steel 316L and high-temperature nickel alloys are presented.