High-temperature corrosion characteristics of yttria-stabilized zirconia material in molten salts of LiCl-Li2O and LiCl-Li2O-Li

Abstract

ABSTRACT The isothermal and cyclic corrosion behavior of yttria (Y2O3)-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2) in a LiCl-Li2O molten salt were investigated at 650 °C in an argon atmosphere. During isothermal and cyclic corrosion tests in the molten salt of LiCl-Li2O for 168 h and 7 thermal cycles, the corrosion rate was very low, whereas under the molten salt of LiCl-Li2O-Li for 168 h, the corrosion rate was almost 10 times higher than that in the molten salt of LiCl-Li2O. No corrosion product was detected until 168 h for the isothermal corrosion test, however, after 7 thermal cycles, a very-low-intensity Li2ZrO3 peak was detected at the beginning stage of the chemical reaction between ZrO2 and Li2O. Additionally, in the molten salt of LiCl-Li2O-Li for 168 h, a large amount of Li2ZrO3 was formed, with evidence of marked cracks, pores, and spallations on the corroded surface. The introduction of Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 was beneficial in increasing the hot corrosion resistance of the structural materials used to handle molten salts containing Li2O at elevated temperature without forming a lithium at the cathode during the electrolytic reduction process.