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ORNL-TM-0328.txt
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ORNL-TM-0328.txt
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- e
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
operated by
UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION
for the
U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
ORNL- TM- 328
R
MASTER
CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF REACTOR MATERIALS
IN FLUORIDE SALT MIXTURES
J. H. DeVan
R. B. Evans, Il
NOTICE
This document contains information of a preliminary nature and was prepared
primarily for internal use at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is subject
to revision or correction and therefore does not represent a final report, The
information is not to be abstracted, reprinted or otherwise given public dis-
semination without the approval of the ORNL patent branch, Legal and Infor-
mation Control Department,
LEGAL NOTICE
This report was prepared os an account of Government sponsored work, Neither the Unitad Stctes,
nor the Commission, ner any person acting on behalf of the Commissicn:
A. Mckes any warronty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy,
completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that the use of
any information, apparotus, methed, or process disclosed in this rapert may not infringe
privately owned rights; or
B
Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of
any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report.
As used in the above, '""person acting on behalf of the Commission'' includes dany employee or
contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contracter, to the extent that such employee
or contractor of the Commissien, ¢r employse of such contracter prepares, disseminates, or
provides access to, any information pursuant to his employmant or contract with the Commission,
or his employment with such contractor,
¥
ORNL-TM-328
Copy
Contract No. W-7405-eng-26
METALS AND CERAMICS DIVISION
CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF REACTOR MATERIALS
IN FLUORIDE SALT MIXTURES
J. H, DeVan
Metals and Ceramics Division
and
R. B. Evans III
Reactor Chemistry Division
DATE ISSUED
SEP 191962
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL IABORATORY
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
operated by
UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION
for the
U. 5. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
ABSTRACT -
Molten fluoride salts, because of their radiation stability and
ability to contain both thorium and uranium, offer important advantages
as high-temperature fuel solutions for nuclear reactors and as media
suitable for nuclear fuel processing. Both applications have stimulated
experimental and theoretical studies of the corrosion processes by which
molten-salt mixtures attack potential reactor materials. The subject
report discusses (1) corrosion experiments dealing with fluoride salts
which have been conducted in suppors of the Molten-Salt Reactor
Experiment at the Oak Ridge National Iaboratory (ORNL) and (2) analytical
methods employed to interpret corrosion and mass-transfer behavior in
this reactor system.
The products of corrosion of metals by fluoride melts are soluble
in the molten salt; accordingly passivation is precluded and corrosion
depends directly on the thermcdynamic driving force of the corrosion
reactions. Compatibility of the container metal and molten salt, there-
fore, demands the selection of salt constituents which are not
appreciably reduced by useful structural alloys and the development of
container materials whose components are in near thermodynamic equilibrium
with the salt medium.
Utilizing information gained in corrosion testing of commercial
alloys and in fundamental interpretations of the corrosion process, an
alloy development program was conducted at ORNL to provide a high- h
temperature container material that combined corrosion resistance with :
useful mechanical properties. The program culminated in the selection of
a high-strength nickel-base alloy containing 17% Mo, 7% Cr, and 5% Fe.
The results of several long-term corrosion loops and in-pile capsule tests
ccmpleted with this alloy are reviewed to demonstrate the excellent
corrosion resistance of this alloy composition to fluoride salt mixtures
at high temperatures. Methods based on thermodynamic properties of the
alloy container and fused salt are presented for predicting corrosion rates
in these systems. The results of radiotracer studies conducted to
demonstrate the proposed corrosion model also are discussed.
CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF REACTOR MATERTALS
IN FLUORTDE SALT MIXTURES
J. H. DeVan, Speaker, and R. B. Evans TIII
TNTRODUCTTON
Molten fluoride salts exhibit exceptional irradiation stability and
can be fused with fluorides of both thorium and uranium. Both properties
have led to their utilization as fuel-bearing heat-transfer fluids [1]
and as solvating agents for fuel reprocessing [2]. Intrinsic in these
applications, however, is the need for experimental and theoretical
studies of the corrosion processes by which molten salt mixtures attack
potential reactor materials,
Unlike the more conventional oxidizing media, the products of
oxidation of metals by fluoride melts tend to be completely soluble in
the corroding media [3]; hence passivation is precluded and corrosion
depends directly on the thermodynamic driving force of the corrosion
reactions, Design of a chemically stable system utilizing molten fluoride
salts, therefore, demands the selection of salt constituents that are not
appreciably reduced by available structural metals and the development of
containers whose components are in near thermodynamic equilibrium with
the salt medium.
Following the initiation of design studies of molten fluoride fuel
reactors, a corrosion program was begun at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory to investigate the compatibility of experimental fluoride salt
mixtures [4,5] with commercially avallable high-temperature alloys [4,5].
As a result of these studies, the development of a preliminary reactor
-2 -
experiment was undertaken using a nickel-base alloy containing 15 Cr,
7 Fe,* and a fuel salt of the system NaF-ZrF,—UF,. This reactor experi-
ment, although of intentionally short duration, successfully demonstrated
the feasibility of the fluoride fuel concept [6,7].
The corrosive attack incurred by the Ni-Cr-Fe alloy was found to be
selective toward chromium and was initiated through chromium oxidation
at the metal surface by UF, and traces of impurities such as HF, NiF,,
and FeF, [3]. The overall rate of attack was governed primarily by the
diffusion rate of chromium within the alloy. Although suitable at low
temperatures, corrosion rates of the alloy above 700°C were excegsive
for leong-term use witnh most fluoride fuel systems.
Utilizing information gained in corrosion testing of commercial
alloys and in fTundamental Interpretations of the corrosion process, an
alloy develcpment program was carried out to provide an advanced container
material that combined corrcsion resistance with useful mechanical
properties. The alloy system used as the basis for this program was
composed of nickel with a primary strengthening addition of 15 to 20% Mo.
Experimental evaluations of the effectis of other solid-sclution alloying
additions to tnis basic composition culminated in the selection of a
high=strength nickel-base alloy containing 17 Mo, 7 Cr, and 5 Fe.
The purposc oi tThe present report 1s to summarize the corrosion
properties of alloys based on tihe nickel-molybdenum system and to then
discuss an analytical apvroach for precicting corrosion rates in these
systems based on thermodynanmic properties of the alloy and fluoride salt
*Compositions refer to percent by weight, except where otherwise
noted,
-3 o
mixture. The report is divided into three major sections: (1) a
presentation of experimental results showing the effects of alloying
additions of Cr, Fe, Nb, V, W, Al, and Ti on the corrosion properties
of nickel-molybdenum alloys; (2) a presentation of the experimentally
determined corrosion properties of the 17 Mo—7 Cr—5 Fe—bal Ni composition
(designated INOR-8); and (3) a discussion of the analytical model that
has been employed to interpret the corrosion and mass transfer properties
of these alloys.
FFFECTS OF ALLOYING ADDITIONS ON THE CORROSION
RESISTANCE OF NICKEL ALLOYS IN FLUCRIDE MIXTURES
Experimental
Several laboratory heats of experimental nickel-molybdenum alloy
compositions were prepared by vacuum- and air-induction melting to afford
a programmatic study of the effects of soclid-solution alloying additions
on corrosion behavior in fluoride salts. The compositions of the alloys
that were evaluated are shown in Table I, The cast alloys were formed
into tubing and were subsequently fabricated into a thermal-convection
loop for corrosion testing. Loops similar to the ones employed have
been described elsewhere {3]. Loops were exposed to the salt mixture
NaF-LiF-KF—UF, (11.2-45.3-41.0-2.5 mole %) for periods of 500 and 1000 hr
and were operated at a hot-zone temperature of 815°C and a cold-zone
temperature of 650°C. The corrosion susceptibility of alloying additions
was determined from analyses of the concentrations of corrosion products
in after-test salt samples and from metallographic examinations of the
loop walls.
Toble I. Compositions of Experimental Nickel-Mclybdenum Alloys Used for Corrosion Studies
Composition (wt %)
Heat No,*
Ni Mo Cr Fe Ti Al Nb W v
Series I:
OR 30-1 8C.12 16.93 2.83
OR 30-2 78.55 16.65 4.62
OR 30-4 73.65 16.37 9.21
OR 30-6 78.50 15.11 6.40
OR 37A-1 77.0 20.39 2.62
OR 43A-3 73.30 20.34 6.34
Series [:
OR 30-7 82.10 15.93 1.88
OR 30-8 80.30 17.80 1.89
OR 30-9 81.10 16.8 2.09
OR 30-10 81.10 16.60 2.23
OR 30-11% 79.80 16.53 3.68
OR 30-12 80.00 16.80 3.22
CR 30-19 79.00 16.90 4.10
OR 30-20 79.20 16.60 4.18
OR 30-21 78.90 16.40 4.71
ST 23012 82.00 17.42 0.53
OR 1491 86.58 11.23 2.19
Series HI:
OR 30-13 79.93 17.56 1.56 0.95
OR 30-14 79.53 16.50 1.52 2.45
OR 30-16 77.74 16.00 3.65 1.49 1.12
OR 30-22 77.65 15.90 5.69 1.16 0.60
OR 30-33 74,07 15.15 5.01 5.07 0.70
B 2897 76.13 20.50 1.25 1.32
B 2898 76.30 20.50 2.44 1.31
B 3276 69.19 2110 7.58 2.16
B 3277 66.95 21.60 7.82 1.31 2.32
ST 23011 71.50 15.06 3.84 0.53 4.17 4,90
ST 23013 74.42 15.20 0.58 4,57 5.23
ST 23014 80.86 16.70 2.10 0.57
**QR’’ denotes heats furnished by the ORNL Metals and Ceramics Division.
“ST"" denotes heats furnished by Superior Tube Company.
*'B’' denotes heats furnished by Battelle Memorial Institute.
-5 -
Salt mixtures utilized for this investigation were prepared from
reagent-grade materials and were purified to obtain a total impurity
content below 500 ppm.
Results
Chemical analyses of salts tested with alloys containing a single
alloying addition, i.e., with ternary alloys, are plotted as a Tunction
of alloy content in Fig. 1. It is seen that the corrosion susceptibility
of alloying elements, based on the concentration of the elements in the
after-test salt, tended to increase in the order: e, Nb, V, Cr, W, Ti,
and Al., Table IT indicates a similar trend in the corrosion-product
concentrations of salts tested with alloys containing multiple additions.
However, in comparing the values in Table II with Fig. 1, it is evident
that the corrosion-product concentrations assoclated with either iron,
niobium, or tungsten alloying additions were substantially lower when
these elements were present in multicomponent alloys than in simple
ternary alloys. In contrast, corrosion-product concentrations assoclated
with chromium, aluminum, or titanium were effectively unchanged by the
presence of other alloying constituents.
Because of beneficial effects on oxidation resistance and mechanical
properties imparted by chromium additions, a relatively large number of
alloy compositions containing this element were evaluated. The extent
of reaction between chromium and fluoride constituents, as indicated by
the chromium ion concentration of the salt, varied markedly with the
amount of chromium in the alloy (or the element). This variation is
illustrated graphically in Fig. 2, where the data are compared with data
for a 15 Cr—7 Fe—bal Ni alloy [4] and for pure chromium [8]. 1In all
UNCL ASSIFIED
ORNL — LR— DWG 46943
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ALLLOY CONTENT (at. %)
Fig. 1. Corrosion-Product Concentrations of Salts Tested with
Experimental Nickel-Molybdenum Alloys Containing Single Alloying Ad-
Salt mixture: NaF-TiFP-KF-UF, (11.2-45.341.0-2.5 mole %).
ditionse.
Table Il. Corrosion-Product Concentrations of Salts Tested with Experimental Nickel-Molybdenum Alloys
Containing Multiple Alloy Additions
Salt Mixture: NaF-LiF-K F—UF4 {11.2—45.3-41.0~2.5 mole %)
Concentration of Element in Salt (Mole %)
Heat No.* Alloy Composition {atomic %)
Cr Al Ti Nb Fe W
Test Duration: 500 hr
OR 30-13 2.18 Al, 2.02 Ti, 11.35 Mo, bal Ni 0.040
CR 30.-14 5.51 Al, 1.92 Ti, 10.42 mo, bal Ni 0.43 0.045
OR 30-16 2.54 Al, 1.90 Ti, 4.30 Cr, 0.023 0.33 0.038
10.20 Mo, bal Ni
OR 30-22 2.61 Al, 0.39 Nb, 6.64 Cr, 0.055 0.38 0.0018
10.05 Mo, bal Ni
B 2898 3.24 Ti, 0.90 Nb, 13.20 Mo, bal Ni 0.030 <0.0005
B 3276 1.48 Nb, 9.32 Cr, 14.00 Mo, bal Ni 0.061 0.0007
B 3277 3.06 Al, 1.57 Nb, 9.47 Cr, 0.067 0.50 <0.0005
14.20 Mo, bal Ni
ST 23011 1.27 Al, 291 Nb, 4.79 Cr, 1.72 W, 0.049 0.007
10.20 Mo, bal Ni
ST 23013 1.40 Al, 3.23 Nb, 1.85 W, 10,36 Mo, <0.001 <0.0005 0.002
bal Ni
ST 23014 1.30 Al, 2.71 Ti, 10.76 Mo, bal Ni 0.060 0.019
Test Duration: 1000 hr
OR 30-14 5.51 Al, 1.92 Ti, 10.42 Mo, bal Ni 0.25 0.043
OR 30-22 261 Al, 0.39 Nb, 6.64 Cr, 0.041 0.25 0.0010
10.05 Mo, bal Ni
OR 30-33 1.59 Al, 5.56 Fe, 5.90 Cr, 0.069 0.082 0.0051
Q.66 Mo, bal Ni
B 2897 1.68 Ti, 0.92 Nb, 13.77 Mo, bal Ni 0.038 0.0012
B 3277 3.06 Al, 1.57 Nb, 9.47 Cr, 0.073 0.47 0.0020
14.20 Mo, bal Ni
*"OR'" denotes heats furnished by the ORNL Metals and Ceramics Division
“*ST'' denotes heats furnished by Superior Tube Company.
**B'' denotes heats furnished by Battelle Memorial Institute.
UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-LR-DWG 68376
3000
T T T T TTPURE Cr=800°¢ | 1~ 1 17777
- 2000 — 200
& 1600 F = 130
&
= 1200 PURE Cr—600°C
< Y cue S chie s - . —— . P S G S G — e caver opre o jEn wEn GEn| . NS GG AL Gl mwy [ S SSE-w— 100
a 1000 M
> g0 @
& 800 - fi a‘é——i} Ni-Cr—Fe ALLOY ] <
& — Je0 &
© 600 § o © @
£ B — O
O £
_ 40
S 400 s ¥ N
S
o —l ] RANGE OF 3 SALT SAMPLES —
T 1 O SINGLE ALLOY ADDITION =500 hr TESTS -
O ® SINGLE ALLOY ADDITION —1000 hr TESTS
_5 § O MULTIPLE ALLOY ADDITIONS =500 hr TESTS _{ 29
200 H& ® MULTIPLE ALLOY ADDITIONS —1000 hr TESTS —
0.03 004 (006 008 040 0.2 0.4 06 0.8 10
ATOM FRACTION OF CHROMIUM IN ALLOY
Fig. 2. Chromium Concentration of Fluoride Salt Circulated in
Thermal-Convection Loops as a Function of Chromium Content of the Loop.
Salt mixture: NaP-LiF—KF-UF, (11.2—45.3=41.0~2.5 mole %). ILoop tem-
perature: hot leg, 815°C; cold leg, 650°C.
cases the corrosion-product concentrations in the experimental alloy
loops (which contained up to 11.0 at. % Cr) were less than corresponding
concentrations in nickel-chromium-iron loops under similar temperature
conditions or in pure chromium capsules exposed isothermally at 600 and
800°C., The latter observation indicates that the observed chromium ion
concentrations were below those required for the formation ol pure
chromium crystals in the cold-lecg region of the loops (650°C).
Metallographic examinations of alloys investigated under this
program showed little evidence of corrosion except for systems containing
combined additions of aluminum and titanium or aluminum and chromium,
Significant alloy depletion and attendant subsurface void formatlion in
the latter alloys occurred to depths of from 0,003 tc 0,004 in., In
all other systems, attack was manifested by shallow surface pits less
than 0,00l in. in depth., Figure 3 illustrates the typlcal appearance
of attack in alloy systems containing chromium at levels of 3,2 and
11.0 at. %, respectively. Although the depth of pitting was comparable
in both alloys, the intensity of pitting increased slightly with
chromium concentration.
In the case of the majority of alloys tested, the rate of attack
between O and 500 hr was substantially greater than the rate occurring
between 500 and 1000 hr. This finding is illustrated in Fig. 4, which
compares the surface appearance of a ternmary alloy containing 5.55 at. % Cr
after 500- and 1000-hr exposures. This result 1s in agreement with the
observed corrosion-product concentrations, which increased only slightly
between 500 and 1000 hr, and suggests that nearly steady-state conditions
were established within the first 500 hr of test opecration,
« 10 -
| Unclassified
T-12037
1 ¥
INCHES
1 A
g
;
]
»
280X
Composition: 3.2 Cr—13.5 Mo-bal Ni (at. %)
A
Unclassified
- T=11298 |
" INCHES
‘l ]
E
Composition: 11.0 Cr—10.6 Mo-bal Ni (at. %)
Fig. 3. Hot-Leg Sections of Nickel—Molybdenum-Chromilfin Thermal-
Convection Loops Following 500-hr Exposure to Fluoride Fuel. ©Salt
mixture: NaF-TiF-KF-UF, (11.2-45.3-41.0-2.5 mole %). 250X. Reduced
5.
Unelassified
T-11327
s
oo
7
/\#’\
\\\ e e
~ 3
O
250X E
After 5 hr
Unclassified
- £-12031
- After 1000 hr
. Pig. 4. Appearance of Hot-Leg Surface of a Ternary Nickel-Molyb-
denum Alloy Containing 5.55 at. % Cr Following Exposure to Fluoride
Fuel. Heat No. OR30-2. Salt mixture: NaP-TiF-KF-UF; (11.2-45.3-41.0-
2.5 mole %). 250X. Reduced 4%. '
- 12 -
Discussion
In view of the uniform compositions of salt mixtures employed for
these alloy evaluations, it follows that the mixtures afforded comparable
oxidation potentials at the start of each test. Accordingly, if passi-
vation did not occur, one can readily show that the extent of reaction
resulting from equilibration of the salt mixture with given alloying
elements should be governed simply by the activity of the element in the
metal and by the stability (or standard free energy of formation) of the
fluoride compound involving the element. Consider, for example, the
component* chromium and the oxidation reaction
Cr + U, = CrFy + 2UF43 (1)
for which
2
Yorr, ¥ UF,
Q_I_'_' UF,
At the very dilute concentrations of CrF, and UF3, which are realized
under the test conditions, the activities of these products may be
approximated by thelr mole fractions in accordance with Henry's law.
Thus, for a salt system of fixed UF, concentrations, assuming the refer-
ence states for salt components to be the infinitely dilute solution,
2
- NCI‘Fg'N UF3
= — 3
Ky S (3)
Cre™ UF,
and
2 _ %’
NCrF2,N UF, " Koo, - (4)
*Solid-solution alloying elements are underlined.
- 13 -
If reaction products are initially absent, a mass balance exists between
h & -1 .
the products formed such that NCTF2 5 NfiF3 and Eq. (4) reduces to
- 1/3
Ny, = K 0191: , (5)
where
K y? - 1/3
[ K" - a'QfiFg J
4
Since
o o o
RT In K = AF° o+ 2(8F = 0F )
it follows that
and
O N
- 6(ag—l:-) AF (b)
NCng Cng) :
In Table IIT are listed the standard free energies of formation, per
gram-atom of fluorine, of Fluoride compounds at 8C0 and 600°C associated
with ecach of the alloying elements investigated [9]. Valucs are given for
the most stable compounds (i.e., those with most ncgative free energies)
and are listed in order of decreasing stabilities. Tne resultant order
suggests thatl corrosion-product concentrations associated with each
element (at a given activity) should have increased in the following
order: W, INb, Fe, Cr, V, Ti, and Al. Comparison with IFig. 1 shows that,
with the exception of niobium and tungsten, the corrosion-product
concentrations per atomic percent of alloy addition did increase in the
exact order predicted. Only tungsten noticeably deviates from the
predicted pattern, although the tests made on this addition were
statistically limited.
- 14 -
Table III. Relative Thermodynamic Stabilities of Fluoride
Compounds Formed by Elements Employed as Alloying Additions
Standard Free Energy of
Formation per Gram Atom
of Fluorine
kcal/g~-atom of F
Most Stable (keal/e )
Element Fluoride Compound at 800°C at 600°C
Al AlF, -87 92
Ti TiF, -85 -90
v VF -80 -84
Cr Cr¥F, -72 -'77
Fe FeF 5 -66 -69
Ni NiF, ~59 ~63
Nb NbF 5 -58 -60
Mo MoF 5 -57 -58
W WE 5 ~46 438
- 15 -
When tested in the presence of other alloylng elements, the corrosion-
product concentrations of iron, niobium,or tungsten were noticeably lower
than the values attained for ternary alloys. The reason for this behavior
undoubtedly relates to the presence of the more reactive alloying additions
in the multicomponent alloys. If one considers, for example, an alloy
containing comparable additions of chromium and iron, for which the corro-
sion reactions can be written
il
I
o
Cr + 2UF, = CrF, + 2UF;5: AF
Fe + 2UF, ~D
I
Il
FeF, + 2UF5: AF
where
a] > [v]
the equilibrium UF, concentration produced for the first reaction is
higher than that which would be produced by the second reaction. Accord-
ingly, in the presence of chromium, the FeF, concentration at equilibrium
will be reduced compared to the system containing iron only.
The results of these alloy evaluations provided further evidence
that corrosion in molten fluoride systems involved essentially the
attainment of thermodynamic equilibrium between the fluoride melt and
container metal. The results also implied that, over the alloy compositions
studled, the activities of the alloying additions could be reasonably
approximated by their atom fractions, i.e., that activity coefficients
were nearly the same for all of the alloying additions tested. The
favorable corrosion properties of the majority of alloys tested permitted
wide latitude in the selection of an optimum alloy composition for fluoride
fuel containment. Only titanium and aluminum were felt to afford potential
corrosion problems, particularly if used as combined additions or in
- 16 -
combination with chromium. Because chromium had proved an extremely
effective alloying agent in regard to both strength and oxidation
properties, this alloying addition was utilized in the selected alloy
composition., The level of chromium in this alloy was fixed at 7%, which
is the mimimum amount required to impart oxidation resistance to the
Wi-17% Mo system [10]. The addition of chromium as an iron-chromium alloy
also imparted approximately 5% Fe to the system. While this finalized
alloy composition, designated INOR-8, was not tested as part of the
initial alloy study, its corrosion properties can be considered equivalent
to those of the ternary chromium-containing alloys discussed above,
CORROSION PROPERTIES OF INOR-8
Experimental
The materialization of INOR-& as a container material for fluoride
fuels led to an extensive investigation of the corrosion properties of
this specific alloy composition under simulated reactor conditions.
Studies were conducted in forced-convection loops of the type shown in
Fig. 5. Tubular inserts contalned within the heated sections of the loops
provided an analysis of weight losses occurring during the tests, and
salt samplers located above the pump bowls provided a semicontinuous
indication of corrosion-product concentrations in the circulating salt.
All parts of the loops were constructed of commercially supplied INCR-8
material,
The salt compositions initially utilized for these studies were of
the type LiF-BeF UF, but, in later tests, the compositions were changed
to LiF-BeF ,—ThF,UF,, Corrosion rates were determined at a series of
Unclassip; ed
ORNL Photg 34693
LT -
- 18 -
hot-leg operating temperatures ranging from 700 to 815°C. At each tempera-
ture level, the mixtures experienced a temperature change of approximately
200°C between heater and cooler sections. Loop operating times were
generally in the range 15,000 to 20,000 hr, although loop operation was
interrupted at shorter time intervals to allow the removal of corrosion
inserts.
Results
The weight losses of corrosion inserts contained in the hot legs of
INOR-8 forced-convection loops at 700, 760, and 815°C are shown in
Table IV. 1In two test loops operated at 700°C, weight losses were in
the range 2 to 5 mg/cm2 and showed little change after 5000 hr of loop
operation., Weight losses at 760 and 815°C were slightly higher, being
in the range 8 to 10 mg/cm2, and agaln were essentially unchanged after
50C0 hr of operation., Comparisons of before- and after-test dimensions
of the inserts revealed no measurable changes in wall thickness. However,
if uniform attack is assumed, weight-loss measurements indicate wall
reductions on the order of 2 to 12 u (Table IV).
Chemical analyses of salt samples that were periodically witndrawn
from the loops showed a slight upward shift in chromium concentration,
while concentrations of other metallic components remained unchanged.
During a typical run, as pictured in Fig. &, the chromium concentration
reached an asymptotic limit after about 5000 hr of operation. This limit
was between 300 and 500 ppm at 700°C and between 600 and 800 ppm at
760 and 815°C.
Metallographic examinations of loops operated at 700°C for time
periods up to 5000 hr showed no evidence of surface attack. When test
- 19 -
Table IV. Corrosion Rates of Inserts Located in the
Hot Legs of INOR-8 Forced-Convection Loops as a
Function of Operating Temperature
Loop temperature gradient: 200°C
Flow rate: approximately 2.0 gal/min
Reynolds number: approximately 3000
Insert Weight Loss Equivalent Loss