Abstract
Life tests of stainless steel heat pipes containing sodium working fluid were carried out at evaporator surface temperatures of 600, 650 and 700°C for 1200 h of operation in ambient environments. After the finish of each test, the containers were cut open and were examined through an X-ray micro-analyzer, a metallurgical microscope etc. Heat pipes were fabricated from sus 316L stainless steel with 2 layers of 50-mesh screen wick of the same material. The total length of the heat pipe was 1000 mm with 25 mm diameter and the length of heating zone by ultra-gold furnace is 265 mm. The adiabatic zone is 235 mm and the remaining part is the condenser zone. The following became clear after the examinations. 1. (1) Cr crystal substance is deposited on the inner surfaces of the containers and the wick surfaces due to elution or precipitation of some Cr from the containers and wick materials. 2. (2) Selective crystal boundary corrosion is observed at wicks. However, it is clear that such a small amount of corrosion will not affect the life of the heat pipes.
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