For the future sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), which are envisaged with a design life of 60 years, nitrogen-enhanced 316LN austenitic stainless steel (SS) with improved high-temperature properties is being developed. To optimize the enhanced nitrogen content in 316LN SS, the effect of nitrogen on its tensile, creep and low cycle fatigue behavior has been investigated. For different heats of 316LN SS containing 0.07-0.22 wt% nitrogen, the tensile and creep properties increased with increase in nitrogen content, while low cycle fatigue properties peaked at 0.14 wt% nitrogen. Finally, based on the evaluation of the hot cracking susceptibility of the different heats of 316LN SS with varying nitrogen content, using the Varestraint and Gleeble hot-ductility tests, the nitrogen content for the nitrogen-enhanced 316LN SS has been optimized at a level of 0.14 wt%. The 0.14 wt% nitrogen content in this optimised composition shifts the solidification mode of the weld metal to fully austenitic region, including that due to dilution of nitrogen from the base metal, thereby increasing its hot cracking susceptibility. This necessitated development and qualification of welding electrodes for obtaining weld metal with 0.14 wt% nitrogen by optimising the weld metal chemistry so as to obtain the requisite delta ferrite content, tensile properties, and very importantly impact toughness both in the as-welded and aged conditions. Studies on localised corrosion behaviour of nitrogen-enhanced 316LN SS indicated the beneficial effect of nitrogen addition to sensitization, pitting, intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue.
