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HYDROLYSIS OF WATER-SATURATED CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF METALS AND THE ASSOCIATED CORROSION

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4097851
Experiments were performed to obtain hydrolysis data on water-saturated Coolant-113, -114, -114A, and -317a in the presence of aluminum alloys, copper, and low-carbon steel. The associated corrosion was also investigated. Coolant316 was also used in the aluminum alloy study. The order of hydrolytic reactivity of the water-saturated chlorofluorocarbon coolants in the presence of aluminum alloys was ence of copper and steel, the order of hydrolytic reactivity was Coolant-317a> -114A> -113>> -114. The hydrolysis rates of the chlorofluorocarbons were generally highest in the presence of steel and lowest in the presence of copper. Steel samples exposed to chlorofluorocarbons having a high hydrolysis rate were not corroded as much as aluminum samples exposed to chlorofluorocarbons having a lower hydrolysis rate. Neither the steel nor copper samples showed evidence of gross pitting after exposure to wet chlorofluorocarbon systems. In the presence of 3003 aluminum alloy, Coolant-114A is more reactive by at least two orders of magnitude than is the Coolant-114. A discussion of the mechanism of the corrosive attack on aluminum is presented, and it is concluded that a catalytic hydrolysis on the aluminum "barrier film" surface best represents the observed behavior. (auth)
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Tenn.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
NSA Number:
NSA-15-009367
OSTI ID:
4097851
Report Number(s):
K-1461
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English