Corrosion of aluminum alloys in ocean thermal energy conversion seawaters
Aluminum alloys 5052, 3004, and Alclad 3003 and 3004 were exposed to flowing seawater at 2.44 m/s (8 fps) at the Seacoast Test Facility on Hawaii. One year data for warm surface water and three mouth data for cold water from 600 m depth are reported for free fouling, chlorinated and sponge ball cleaned conditions. All alloys pit in deep seawater, but show no pitting in warm surface water. Uniform corrosion in the warm water is initially rapid, but after 25 to 30 days the rate becomes slower and extrapolated 30 year material losses are in the 125 to 215 ..mu..m range. Chlorination at a level of 0.05 ppm for one hour per day has only a minor effect on corrosion rates, while sponge ball cleaning leads to erosion-corrosion of the Alclad surfaces and has no effect on alloy 5052. The need for additional testing in tropical seawater is discussed, as is the need for an improved understanding of the formation of inorganic scale films, their properties, and their effect on corrosion rates and heat transfer.
- Research Organization:
- University of Hawaii, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Honolulu, Hawaii
- OSTI ID:
- 6359507
- Journal Information:
- Mater. Performance; (United States), Journal Name: Mater. Performance; (United States) Vol. 23:7; ISSN MTPFB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140800 -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105* -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATION
CLEANING
CONVERSION
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
DEPOSITS
ENERGY CONVERSION
FOULING
HALOGENATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MATERIALS TESTING
MONTHLY VARIATIONS
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PITTING CORROSION
POWER PLANTS
REACTION KINETICS
SCALING
SEAWATER
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACE FINISHING
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TROPICAL REGIONS
VARIATIONS
WATER