Corrosion behaviors of inconel 617 in hydrogen base gas mixture

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of Inconel 617, a candidate for the structural material of heat exchanger in the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), has been investigated at elevated temperatures in the hydrogen base gas mixture (80 pct H2 + 15 pct CO + 5 pct CO2). This gas mixture simulates the reducing gas in the direct steel making system that uses heat from HTGR in Japan. This gas has relatively high oxidizing and carburizing potentials. In the temperature range of 650 to 1000 °C Inconel 617 oxidized to form a Cr2O3 scale containing titanium oxide. The activation energy for this process is estimated to be 50 to 60 kcal/mol. The time dependence of the growth of the surface oxide scale was parabolic. The aluminum in Inconel 617 was internally oxidized. The time dependence of the internal oxidation was noticed to obey a 0.4 power rate law. Carburization was noticed at 650 and 900 °C. At 900 °C, carbides containing Si, Ti, and Mo precipitated beneath the oxide scale for gas exposure times up to 200 h. After 200 h, the formation and growth of the surface scale suppresses carburization. The thermodynamic analysis of gas atmosphere proposed by Gurry could be applied successfully to the experimental results. Some inconsistency existed mainly because of the scale formation and direct gas-metal interactions.