Abstract
Ten autoclaves, made from Zircadyne 705® (a Zr-2.5wt.% Nb alloy), failed in a neutral brine environment during tests designed to probe the mineral reactions occurring in thermally enhanced oil recovery techniques. Two of the failed autoclaves were examined metallurgically to determine the cause(s) of failure. Failure of the autoclaves was shown to be by a process of delayed hydride cracking that initiated at corrosion pits. It was believed that the presence of ferric chloride and/or potassium compounds in the corrosive environment was responsible for the pitting corrosion. Suggestions were made as to alternate materials for the construction of the autoclaves.
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