PWR primary pipes (304L & 316L) are protected against corrosion by an oxide layer. Pipes, which are forming a barrier between the PWR environment and outside, undergo stress corrosion cracking phenomena (assisted or not by irradiation) which can lead to damages. The purpose of this study is to understand the phenomena governing the first steps of the oxide layers formation on these alloys by taking acount the cristallographic orientation of the underlying grains. Using advanced caracterisations methods as GIXRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, SEM, TEM (BF, HRTEM, Astar, EELS and HREELS, on the very beginning of the oxidation, an oxidation process have been proposed for 316L alloy.
