Corrosion by Liquid Metals: Proceedings of the Sessions on Corrosion by Liquid Metals of the 1969 Fall Meeting of the Metallurgical Society of AIME, October 13–16, 1969, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

603 Pages·1970·45.11 MB·English

by  Prodyot Roy

Corrosion by
Liquid Metals
The Metallurgical Society of AIME Proceedings
published by Plenum Press
1968-Refractory Metal Alloys: Metallurgy and Technology
Edited by 1. Machlin, R. T. Begley, and E. D. Weisert
1969-Research in Dental and Medical Materials
Edited by Edward Korostofl
1969-Developments in the Structural Chemistry of Alloy Phases
Edited by B. C. Giessen
1970-Corrosion by Liquid Metals
Edited by J. E. Draley and J. R. Weeks
A Publication of The Metallurgical Society of A/ME
Corrosion by
Liquid Metals
Proceedings of the Sessions on Corrosion by Liquid Metals of
the 1969 Fall Meeting of The Metallurgical Society of AIME,
October 13-16, 1969, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Edited by
Joseph E. Draley
Chemical Engineering Division
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne, lllinois
and
John R.Weeks
Department of Applied Science
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Upton, New York
~
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 75-119057
ISBN 978-1-4684-1847-7 ISBN 978-1-4684-1845-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4684-1845-3
I© 1970 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. in 1970
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1970
PREFACE
The Corrosion Resistant Metals Committee and the Nuclear
Metallurgy Committee of the Institute of Metals Division of The
Metallurgical Society of AlME sponsored a 2-1/2 day symposium
on "Corrosion by Liquid Metals". The symposium was held in
Philadelphia, October 13-15, 1969, during the 1969 Fall Meeting
of the Metallurgical Society and the Materials Engineering Con
gress of the American Society for Metals. Cosponsors included
the American Society for Metals and the American Nuclear Society.
The purpose of the symposium was to bring together the several
aspects of the subject of corrosion by liquid metals, so that
perspective could be provided on the entire subject, to help in
dividuals dealing with liquid metal corrosion problems acquire
a sound basis of understanding, and to provide an opportunity
for discussion between those doing research in this field.
An exposition of the subject is timely, in view of the in
creasing development of liquid metal heat and power sources for
special purposes, including heat-pipe systems, NASA's SNAP
power systems, and the AEC's liquid metal fast breeder reactor
system.
This book contains the proceedings of the symposium divided
into four separate topics: I. Corrosion of Steels by Sodium,
II. Alkali-Refractory Metal Interactions, III. Corrosion by
Non-Alkali Metals, and IV. Analysis of Solid-Liquid Metal Inter
actions (two sessions).
The corrosion of steels by sodium is discussed in detail, out
lining current views on mechanisms and the magnitude of problems
related to compatibility of steels with high temperature liquid
sodium. Descriptions of experience with materials behavior in
the Experimental Breeder Reactor and with radioactive material
transport in experimental systems are included.
Alkali-refractory metal interactions are described for a
number of cases. Treatment ranges from consideration of compati
bility problems to theoretical treatment of reactions between a
v
vi PREFACE
number of solid metals and several of the alkali metals, including
the effects of non-metallic impurities.
Corrosion by non-alkali metals is treated for a number of sys
tems. Discussion is largely directed to factors influential in
determining the feasibility of adequately containing mercury, a
lead-bismuth alloy, zinc, calcium, selenium and a nickel-tin
alloy.
Analysis of solid-liquid metal interactions is addressed to a
number of areas. The fundamentals of liquid metal embrittlement
are discussed, followed by studies of wetting, surface diffusion,
and the theory of liquid metal solubilities. Physical and
chemical interactions of importance to corrosion and mass transport
in liquid sodium are evaluated, and basic information on solu
bilities of metals in sodium and potassium are presented.
December 5, 1969 J. E. Draley and
J. R. Weeks
CONTENTS
SESSION I - Corrosion of Steels by Sodium
1. The Evaluation of Particulates Deposited in Flowing
Non-isothermal Sodium Systems. • • • • • • • • • • • 1
Prodyot Roy~ D~agomi~ Dutina, and F~ank Comp~eZZi
Nuclear Energy Division, General Electric Company,
San Jose, California
2. Interaction Effects Between Dissimilar Metals in
High Velocity Sodium at Temperatures up to 760oC.
I. Mass transfer of Vanadium onto Type 321 Stain-
less Steel • • • • . • • . • • . • . • . 21
A. J. Romano~ s. J. WaahteZ~ and C. J. KZamut
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York
3. Corrosion of Type 316 Stainless Steel with Surface
Heat Flux in l200°F Flowing Sodium • • 33
J. HopenfeZd
Atomics International, A Division of North
American Rockwell Corporation, Canoga Park, Calif.
4. Sodium Corrosion of Westinghouse Liquid Metal Fast
Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Materials. • • • • • • • • •
41
s. L. Sa~oak~ J •. N. Baysden~ R. L. MiUe~, arid
D. E. Loh~
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Advanced
Reactors Division, Madison, Pennsylvania
5. The Corrosion of Stainless Steel in Oxygen-Con
taminated Sodium at 1200 F and 1400 F ••••
63
R. H. HiUz
MSA Research Corporation, Evans City, PaD
6. Evaluation of Materials-Compatibility Problems in
the EBR-II Reactor • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
81
W. E. Ruthe~~ T. D. CZa~~ and R. V. St~ain
Argonne National Laboratory,
Argonne, Illinois
vii
viii CONTENTS
7. Radioactive Material Transport in Flowing Sodium
Systems. . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . .. 97
W. F. Brehm, P. L. Koehmstedt, E. A. Kovaaeviah,
and D. W. Shannon
Battelle-Northwest Laboratories, Richland, Wash.
SESSION II - Alkali-Refractory Metal Interactions
1. The Effects of Exposure to Flowing Sodium on
Vanadium Alloys in Stainless Steel Containment
Systems. . • • . • •.• 115
G. A. WhitZow, R. J. Hornak, S. L. Sahroak, and
E. C. Bishop
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Advanced Reactors
Division, Madison, Pennsylvania
2. Application of Thermodynamic and Kinetic Para
meters of the V-O-Na System to the Sodium Corro
sion of Vanadium-Base Alloys • • • • • • • • • • 137
D. L. Smith and T. F. Kassner
Argonne National Laboratory,
Argonne, Illinois
3. Corrosion of Oxygen Contaminated Tantalum in NaK •• 151
Robert W. Harrison
Nuclear Systems Programs, Space Division, General
Electric Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
4. Penetration of Refractory Metals by Alkali
Metals • • • • 177
R. L. KZueh
Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
5. Some Alkali Metal Corrosion Effects in a Rankine
Cycle Test Loop. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 197
Wayne M. PhiZZips
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
6. The Effects of Welding Atmosphere Purity on the
Lithium Corrosion Resistance of Refractory Alloys.. 217
Robert W. Harrison
Nuclear Systems Programs, Space. Division, General
Electric Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. The Corrosion of Metals by Molten Lithium. 251
Gerri t De Vries
Metallurgist, Naval Undersea Research and Develop
ment Center, Pasadena Laboratory, San Diego,
California
CONTENTS ill:
SESSION III - Corrosion by Non-Alkali Metals
1. Corrosion of Some Cobalt and Iron Base Alloys
in Mercury . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 271
A. Vary and C. M. Soheuermann
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
2. A sOOO-Hour Test of a Eutectic Lead-Bismuth Cir-
cuit Constructed in Steel and Niobium. • • • • • 283
R. I. Hodge~ R. B. Turner~ and J. L. Platten
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River,
Ontario, Canada
3. Diffusion Coatings Formed in Molten Calcium
Systems. II. Variables in the System Ca-Cr-Fe. 305
Riohard A. Fleming* and Giles F. Carter**
*E. I. duPont de Nemours and Co., Electro-
chemicals Dept., Wilmington, Delaware
** Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Mich.
4. Corrosion Studies of Liquid Metal Heat Pipe
Systems at 1000° to l800°C • • • • • • 321
G. D. Johnson
Donald W. Douglas Laboratories, McDonnell
Douglas Corp., Richland, Washington
5. The Corrosive Action of Selenium Towards Various
Materials in the Temperature Range 300 to 700°C. 339
M. B. I. Janjua*~ J. C. Yannopoulos**~ and W.
Charles Cooper*
*Noranda Research Centre, Pointe Claire, Quebec
**Newmont Exploration Co., Ltd., Danbury, Conn.
6. The Isothermal Corrosion (~+S) Ni-Sn Alloys in
Pure Liquid Sn Component • • • • • • 361
N. J. Hoffman* and I. Minkoff**
*Rocketdyne Research Department, Power
Systems Division, North American Rockwell,
Canoga Park, Calif.
** Department of Materials Engineering,
Technicon, Haifa, Israel
7. An Anodic Treatment to Improve the Liquid Zinc
Corrosion Resistance of Tantalum • • • • • • • • 393
L. V. Sandor and K. J. A. Kundig
Republic Steel Research Center, Independence,
Ohio