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Corrosion and wetting behaviour of metals and steels with molten alkali carbonates

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Abstract

The corrosion and wetting behaviour of metals and steels with molten alkali carbonates is of particular interest for the design of molten carbonate fuel cells. Such cells, operating at 650 °C with a lithium and potassium carbonate electrolyte, offer a very corrosive medium for fuel cell components.

Static corrosion tests under simulated anode conditions have shown that rhodium, ruthenium, platinum, palladium, silver, gold, Nickel 200 and Monel 400 exhibit no measurable corrosion over a 100 h period. Copper, Kanthal and Fecralloy exhibit good resistance with thin protective oxide layers. Stainless steels show less resistance to attack with thicker more permeable oxide coatings being formed.

In addition, contact angle measurements indicate that copper, gold, silver and ruthenium demonstrate appreciable non-wetting under a H2-CO2 atmosphere. Steels are substantially wetted.

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  1. Blount's Court, Sonning Common, Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, RG4 9NH, Reading, UK

    J. M. Fisher & P. S. Bennett

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  1. J. M. Fisher
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  2. P. S. Bennett
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Fisher, J.M., Bennett, P.S. Corrosion and wetting behaviour of metals and steels with molten alkali carbonates. J Mater Sci 26, 749–755 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588314

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588314

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