Long-term service of austenitic steel 1.4571 as a container material for flowing lead-bismuth eutectic

► Steel 1.4571 was exposed to lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 550 °C in an LBE loop. ► Samples from the tubing of the loop and corrosion specimens were examined. ► Corrosion phenomena range from protective scaling to selective leaching. ► Corrosion resistance is promising with regard to thick-walled structures. ► Selective leaching may prohibit the use for thin-walled components.