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Title: Corrosion of a dense, co-continuous SiC/Si composite in CO2 and synthetic air at 750 °C

Abstract

The heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of concentrated solar power plants may be enhanced, for lower cost electricity generation, by using high-temperature (750°C) supercritical CO₂ as a working fluid to drive the turbines in these plants. Unfortunately, such operation has been inhibited by the reduction in thermomechanical performance above 550°C of metal alloys used, or considered for use, in compact heat exchangers for heat transfer to supercritical CO₂. Co-continuous, melt-infiltration-processed SiC/Si composites possess an attractive combination of high-temperature mechanical and thermal properties for use in such compact heat exchangers. However, the corrosion behavior of melt-infiltration-processed, equivolume SiC/Si composites in CO₂ at 750°C has not been reported. In this work, the oxidation kinetics of SiC/Si composites, fabricated by Si liquid infiltration into porous SiC preforms, have been examined in CO₂ and in air at 750°C for up to 700 h. Continuous, thin, slow-growing external amorphous SiO₂ scales formed on the SiC/Si composites during oxidation in both gases, without detectable oxide formation at internal (subsurface) SiC/Si interfaces. Corrosion-induced SiC formation in CO₂, and Si₃N₄ formation in air, were also not detected below the SiO₂ scales. The weight gains were small, with a significantly lower rate of weight gain detected in CO₂ than in air.more » SiO₂ scales formed on SiC in both gases were thinner than the scales formed on Si. The SiO₂ scales formed on Si in air were notably thicker than the scales formed on Si in CO₂, whereas SiO₂ scales formed on SiC in air and CO₂ were of similar thickness.« less

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ; ; ; ; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1828214
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1891850
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE-0008527; EE0008998; EE0008527
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of Materials Research and Technology Journal Volume: 15 Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2238-7854
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
Brazil
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Ceramic matrix composite; SiC/Si; Melt infiltration processing; Oxidation kinetics; Carbon dioxide; Transmission electron microscopy

Citation Formats

Nguyen, Thuan Dinh, Scofield, Gregory D., Hwang, Sunghwan, Sangid, Michael D., Itskos, Grigorios, Caccia, Mario, and Sandhage, Kenneth H. Corrosion of a dense, co-continuous SiC/Si composite in CO2 and synthetic air at 750 °C. Brazil: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.10.098.
Nguyen, Thuan Dinh, Scofield, Gregory D., Hwang, Sunghwan, Sangid, Michael D., Itskos, Grigorios, Caccia, Mario, & Sandhage, Kenneth H. Corrosion of a dense, co-continuous SiC/Si composite in CO2 and synthetic air at 750 °C. Brazil. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.10.098
Nguyen, Thuan Dinh, Scofield, Gregory D., Hwang, Sunghwan, Sangid, Michael D., Itskos, Grigorios, Caccia, Mario, and Sandhage, Kenneth H. Mon . "Corrosion of a dense, co-continuous SiC/Si composite in CO2 and synthetic air at 750 °C". Brazil. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.10.098.
@article{osti_1828214,
title = {Corrosion of a dense, co-continuous SiC/Si composite in CO2 and synthetic air at 750 °C},
author = {Nguyen, Thuan Dinh and Scofield, Gregory D. and Hwang, Sunghwan and Sangid, Michael D. and Itskos, Grigorios and Caccia, Mario and Sandhage, Kenneth H.},
abstractNote = {The heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of concentrated solar power plants may be enhanced, for lower cost electricity generation, by using high-temperature (750°C) supercritical CO₂ as a working fluid to drive the turbines in these plants. Unfortunately, such operation has been inhibited by the reduction in thermomechanical performance above 550°C of metal alloys used, or considered for use, in compact heat exchangers for heat transfer to supercritical CO₂. Co-continuous, melt-infiltration-processed SiC/Si composites possess an attractive combination of high-temperature mechanical and thermal properties for use in such compact heat exchangers. However, the corrosion behavior of melt-infiltration-processed, equivolume SiC/Si composites in CO₂ at 750°C has not been reported. In this work, the oxidation kinetics of SiC/Si composites, fabricated by Si liquid infiltration into porous SiC preforms, have been examined in CO₂ and in air at 750°C for up to 700 h. Continuous, thin, slow-growing external amorphous SiO₂ scales formed on the SiC/Si composites during oxidation in both gases, without detectable oxide formation at internal (subsurface) SiC/Si interfaces. Corrosion-induced SiC formation in CO₂, and Si₃N₄ formation in air, were also not detected below the SiO₂ scales. The weight gains were small, with a significantly lower rate of weight gain detected in CO₂ than in air. SiO₂ scales formed on SiC in both gases were thinner than the scales formed on Si. The SiO₂ scales formed on Si in air were notably thicker than the scales formed on Si in CO₂, whereas SiO₂ scales formed on SiC in air and CO₂ were of similar thickness.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.10.098},
journal = {Journal of Materials Research and Technology},
number = C,
volume = 15,
place = {Brazil},
year = {2021},
month = {11}
}

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