Austenitic steels (with FCC crystal lattice) commonly utilized in fast nuclear reactors’ active zones have good radiation resistance and thermal creep properties. However, they do not meet the requirements on the mechanical and radiation properties for the next generation of reactors. Alternatively, common ferritic/martensitic steels with BCC crystal structure have much better radiation resistance in comparison to austenitic steels. Yet these steels allow for high thermal creep values. To improve this parameter, oxide dispersion strengthening of the matrix material by the refractory hard micro- or nanoscale particles is used. This approach enables mechanical and radiation properties suitable for applications in reactors’ active zones.
An efficient way to produce ODS materials is powder processing. Electromagnetic field assisted powder consolidation and in particular – spark plasma sintering, have big advantages for dispersion strengthened steels’ compaction. The main objective of this investigation is to obtain ODS steel samples by spark plasma sintering which can be used for further production of fuel cladding tubes for fast nuclear reactors’ active zones.