Corrosion of Some Cobalt and Iron Base Alloys in Mercury

Abstract

Mercury corrosion experiments at temperatures near 1100° F (868 K) were performed with reflux capsules and forced-flow loops. The materials used in the capsule experiments were two iron-base alloys and two cobalt-base alloys. Two loop tests were made with a cobalt-base alloy, HS-25. There was significantly greater depths of corrosive attack in the cobalt alloy loop than in the reflux capsules. An explanation based on velocity effects and changes in corrosion mechanism is offered to account for these results. However, loop results could not be readily correlated with capsule results nor could the loop results be extrapolated beyond the actual test times.