The oxidation resistance for the heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal of 9 wt.% Cr heat resistant steel in 550 degrees C lead-bismuth eutectic has been investigated. The oxide film presents a three-layer structure. The outer layer is Fe3O4 while the inner layer is mainly FeCr2O4. The oxide film thickness becomes thinner and thinner in turns of the coarse grained HAZ, fine grained HAZ, inter-critical HAZ and base metal. The oxygen diffusion is the rate determining step during the oxidation process. The Cr-enriched M23C6 plays a significant role on the oxidation rate at the initial stage of oxidation. Increasing the carbon content is a useful method to improve the oxidation resistance. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.