Abstract
An Fe–10Cr–4Al alloy containing reactive elements developed for application in high-temperature liquid lead environments was analyzed after exposure in 600 and 750°C lead with dissolved oxygen for 1,000–2,000 h. Atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray scattering were all used to study the protective oxide formed on the surface. Exposure at 750°C resulted in a 2-μm thick oxide, whereas the 600°C exposure resulted in a 100-nm thick oxide. Both oxides were layered, with an Fe–Al spinel on top, and an alumina layer toward the metal. In the 600°C exposed material, there was a Cr-rich oxide layer between the spinel and the alumina. Metallic lead particles were found in the inner and middle parts of the oxide, related to pores. The combination of the experimental techniques, focusing on atom probe tomography, and the interpretations that can be done, are discussed in detail.
Highlights
Over the last decades, an increasing number of new clean energy solutions have emerged to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions
The exposure at 600°C resulted in the formation of a thin oxide of high quality, which was analyzed by Atom probe tomography (APT) and Scanning TEM (STEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)
The oxide formed during exposure at 750°C was thicker and contained some larger pores, making it less suitable for APT
Summary
An increasing number of new clean energy solutions have emerged to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. Such category of clean energy technologies includes concentrated solar power (CSP) and the generation (Gen IV) of nuclear reactors. The CSP technology already exists on the grid and provides electricity on a commercial scale. Current CSP designs use solar salts (NaNO3–KNO3) as heat transfer fluid (HTF). Solar salts disintegrate at close to 600°C (Bradshaw et al, 2009), which limits the thermal conversion efficiency. By replacing the solar salts with a fluid that is stable at higher temperatures, for example, liquid lead, one could achieve higher operational temperatures and increase the efficiency
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