High-temperature corrosion of a nickel-based alloy in a molten chloride environment – The effect of thermal and chemical purifications
- Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)
There is currently an ever-increasing demand for higher process efficiencies in next generation (Gen3) concentrating solar power (CSP). Higher process efficiencies may be procured by increasing the operating temperature, and simultaneously, minimizing the degradation of materials used for construction of CSP plants (e.g., piping, thermal storage tanks, solar receivers and heat exchangers). Thus, understanding materials corrosion in the presence of molten salt mixtures used as thermal energy storage media and heat transfer fluids is indispensable for CSP development. The present paper provides insights into the effects of salt purification on the corrosion of a nickel-based alloy (Haynes 230) isothermally exposed to a stagnant chloride-based salt mixture at 800 °C. The MgCl2-based salt mixture was thermally dehydrated and chemically treated with (0.1 and 0.5 wt %) elemental magnesium. Results reveal the electrochemical nature of the corrosion process, and the formation of corrosion products such as oxides (MgO, MgCr2O4, and MgAl2O4) and nitrides (CrN) on the alloy surface and in sub-surface regions. Magnesium additions enhanced the ability to resist corrosion by reducing the concentration of impurities (H2O, MgOH+, OH- species) and polarizing the alloy surface. The formation of nitrides in all cases studied indicates the impact of using nitrogen as a protective gas in the system. Results also reveal that a single step treatment of the salt using metallic Mg could be considered as a measure to control the salt's impurity level, e.g., if required for system control.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), Community College Internship (CCI) Program and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) Program
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1839592
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5700-81249; MainId:82022; UUID:5fc45a2c-86b1-4b11-9602-41094fafbf79; MainAdminID:63557
- Journal Information:
- Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 236; ISSN 0927-0248
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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