CORROSION OF STRUCTURAL MATERIALS IN IMPURE SANTOWAX

Technical Report · Wed May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4721602

Neymark, R S

Corrosion rates were measured for a variety of structural materials exposed to commercially available terphenyls (Santowax) at elevated temperatures in agitatorautoclaves and in a pumped loop. Corrosion rates were determined as a function of water content, cover gas, fluid velocity, and temperature. A number of metals were found to be compatible with impure Santowax. Those of special interest for use in organic-cooled reactors included carbon and low-alloy steels, stainless steels, Al, and the Albase cermets (APM alloys). Other corrosion- resistant metals included Be and Nb. Al was attacked when the water content exceeded 1000 ppm. Metals unattractive for use in contact with organic coolant included Mg and its alloys, Zr and its alloys, Zn, Cu, and brass. OMRE operating experience showed that the corrosion of structural steel is of concern, not in terms of decreasing metal wall thickness, but rather in terms of contamination of the coolant. Particulates of steel corrosion products had to be in the coolant for it to form fouling films. The rate of particulate formation in the OMRE seemed directly dependent on the water or air contamination of the coolant, in sharp contrast to the laboratory experiments where the corrosion of carbon steel was insensitive to Santowax water contents up to 2000 ppm. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomics International. Div. of North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-17-023891
• OSTI ID: 4721602
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR-7755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ALUMINUM
BERYLLIUM
BRASS
CARBON STEELS
CERMETS
COOLANT LOOPS
COPPER
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMPURITIES
MAGNESIUM ALLOYS
METALS
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NIOBIUM
ORGANIC COOLANT
PHENYL RADICALS
POLYPHENYLS
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTION KINETICS
SANTOWAX
STAINLESS STEELS
WATER
ZINC
ZINC ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS