Selection of corrosion-resistant materials for use in molten nitrate salts

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5236321· OSTI ID:5236321

Tortorelli, P. F.; Bishop, P. S.; DiStefano, J. R.

Investigations of the corrosion of various metals, alloys, and ceramics in high-temperature nitrate salt melts revealed that relatively few materials have acceptable compatibility in a 650{degrees}C, NaNO{sub 3}(-KNO{sub 3})-Na{sub 2}O{sub 2} environment that was chemically characteristic of the MOLTOX{trademark} chemical air separation process. Corrosion in these systems was controlled by the stabilities of the salt and solid-state surface oxides (whether they were ore-existing or formed upon exposure), the salt's oxide ion activity (strongly influenced by Na{sub 2}O{sub 2} additions), and the physical condition of the solid surfaces. In general, refractory/reactive metals and alloys (with the exception of zirconium and hafnium), cobalt, nickel, NiMo, TiAl, austenitic steel, and Ni-Cr-Fe alloys were found to corrode quite readily because of rapid oxidation and/or dissolution in the salt. 22 refs., 29 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5236321
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-11162; ON: DE90004351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
MOLTOX OXYGEN PROCESS
MEASURING METHODS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CRYOGENICS
DATA ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HEAT TRANSFER
MATERIALS TESTING
METALLOGRAPHY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLTEN SALTS
NITRATES
OXYGEN
SODIUM ALLOYS
STAINLESS STEELS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMODYNAMICS
ALLOYS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SALTS
STEELS
TESTING
420400* - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
420500 - Engineering- Materials Testing