skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: High-temperature corrosion of a nickel-based alloy in a molten chloride environment – The effect of thermal and chemical purifications

Journal Article · · Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [3]; ORCiD logo [2];  [4]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  3. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  4. 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

References (42)

Behaviour and mechanisms of alkali-sulphate-induced hot corrosion on composite coatings at 900°C journal May 2012
Corrosion performance of ferrous and refractory metals in molten salts under reducing conditions journal May 1999
Method To Determine MgO and MgOHCl in Chloride Molten Salts journal February 2020
High temperature spectral selective TiC-Ni/Mo cermet-based coatings for solar thermal systems by laser cladding journal September 2018
Surface enrichment and grain boundary segregation of niobium in inconel 718 single- and poly-crystals journal August 1994
Preparation of anhydrous magnesium chloride in a gas-solid reaction with ammonium carnallite journal December 2006
Corrosion resistance of alumina forming alloys against molten chlorides for energy production. II: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under thermal cycling conditions journal July 2017
A simple method for the inhibition of the corrosion of carbon steel by molten nitrate salt for thermal storage in concentrating solar power applications journal October 2018
Interplay of water and reactive elements in oxidation of alumina-forming alloys journal June 2018
Cyclic Voltammetry for Monitoring Corrosive Impurities in Molten Chlorides for Thermal Energy Storage journal October 2017
Corrosion behavior of Inconel 625 deposited metal in molten KCl-MgCl 2 journal December 2020
Corrosion resistance of MCrAlX coatings in a molten chloride for thermal storage in concentrating solar power applications journal September 2017
Corrosion behavior of metallic alloys in molten chloride salts for thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants: A review journal September 2018
Subsurface microstructural changes in a cast heat resisting alloy caused by high temperature corrosion journal January 2010
Molten chloride salts for next generation CSP plants: Electrolytical salt purification for reducing corrosive impurity level journal September 2019
Improvement of the corrosion properties in ternary molten nitrate salts for direct energy storage in CSP plants journal September 2016
Computational studies on a latent thermal energy storage system with integral heat pipes for concentrating solar power journal March 2013
Engineering molten MgCl2–KCl–NaCl salt for high-temperature thermal energy storage: Review on salt properties and corrosion control strategies journal October 2021
Molten chloride technology pathway to meet the U.S. DOE sunshot initiative with Gen3 CSP
  • Vidal, Judith C.; Klammer, Noah
  • SOLARPACES 2018: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117601
conference January 2019
Hot corrosion behavior of commercial alloys in thermal energy storage material of molten MgCl2/KCl/NaCl under inert atmosphere journal September 2018
Stability of protective oxide films in waste incineration environment—solubility measurement of oxides in molten chlorides journal February 2002
Molten chloride salts for next generation CSP plants: Selection of promising chloride salts & study on corrosion of alloys in molten chloride salts
  • Ding, Wenjin; Bonk, Alexander; Bauer, Thomas
  • SOLARPACES 2018: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117729
conference January 2019
Stabilization of molten salt materials using metal chlorides for solar thermal storage journal May 2018
Exploring failure modes of alumina scales on FeCrAl and FeNiCrAl alloys in a nitriding environment journal December 2020
Corrosion of steel alloys in molten NaCl + Na2SO4 at 700 °C for thermal energy storage journal June 2018
Corrosion resistance of alumina-forming alloys against molten chlorides for energy production. I: Pre-oxidation treatment and isothermal corrosion tests journal July 2017
Influence of initial microstructure on creep deformation behaviors and fracture characteristics of Haynes 230 superalloy at 900°C journal March 2015
High-Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion of Structural Materials in Molten Chlorides journal January 2001
Materials for energy conservation and storage journal June 1981
Comparative analysis of concentrating solar power and photovoltaic technologies: Technical and environmental evaluations journal February 2013
Electrochemistry of molten salt corrosion journal October 1991
Electrochemical measurement of corrosive impurities in molten chlorides for thermal energy storage journal February 2018
Potential scalability of a cost-effective purification method for MgCl2-Containing salts for next-generation concentrating solar power technologies journal September 2020
Oxidation and electrical properties of chromium–iron alloys in a corrosive molten electrolyte environment journal September 2020
Advanced Thermal Energy Storage Technology for Parabolic Trough journal May 2004
Assessment of a novel ternary eutectic chloride salt for next generation high-temperature sensible heat storage journal July 2018
Molten chloride salts for next generation concentrated solar power plants: Mitigation strategies against corrosion of structural materials journal May 2019
Redox potential control in molten salt systems for corrosion mitigation journal November 2018
Corrosion of alloys in a chloride molten salt (NaCl-LiCl) for solar thermal technologies journal December 2016
High Temperature Oxidation Behavior of Alloy 617 and Haynes 230 in Impurity-Controlled Helium Environments journal December 2010
Micro/nano encapsulation of some paraffin eutectic mixtures with poly(methyl methacrylate) shell: Preparation, characterization and latent heat thermal energy storage properties journal December 2014
Effect of thermal cycling on protective properties of alumina scale grown on thin Haynes 214 foil journal September 2015