Effect of alloying elements on liquid metal embrittlement of pure BCC Fe in contact with liquid lead-bismuth eutectic: Experiments and first principles calculation

The effects of three alloying elements, i.e., Cr, Al, and Si, on liquid metal embrittlement (LME) of pure Fe (BCC) exposed to oxygen-poor liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) have been studied using tensile tests and first prin-ciples calculation. It is shown that all three elements induce an increase in strength while loss of ductility, and Si has the strongest effect. The LME enhancement sequence is Si>Al>Cr. First principles calculation reveals that the considerable decreases of surface energy and Young's moduli as well as more directional and localized bonding due to the alloying elements intrinsically cause the LME susceptibility of BCC Fe.

Automated summary

The effects of three alloying elements, namely Cr, Al, and Si, on liquid metal embrittlement (LME) of pure Fe (BCC) in oxygen-poor liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) were studied using tensile tests and first-principles calculation. It was found that all three elements increased the strength but decreased the ductility of the material, with Si having the strongest effect. The LME enhancement sequence was Si>Al>Cr. First-principles calculation showed that the alloying elements caused a significant decrease in surface energy and Young's moduli, as well as more directional and localized bonding, leading to the susceptibility of BCC Fe to LME.