Steven J Pawel

Preliminary evaluation of cavitation resistance of type 316LN stainless steel in mercury using a vibratory horn

Abstract Type 316LN stainless steel in a variety of conditions (annealed, cold-worked, surface-modified) was exposed to cavitation conditions in stagnant mercury using a vibratory horn. The test conditions included peak-to-peak displacement of the specimen surface of 25 μm at a frequency of 20 kHz and a mercury temperature in the range −5 to 80 °C. Following a brief incubation period in which little or no damage was observed, specimens of annealed 316LN exhibited increasing weight loss and surface roughening with increasing exposure times. Examination of test surfaces with the scanning electron microscope revealed primarily general/uniform wastage in all cases but, for long exposure times, a few randomly oriented ‘pits’ were also observed. Type 316LN that was 50% cold-worked was considerably more resistant to cavitation erosion damage than annealed material, but the surface modifications (CrN coating, metallic glass coating, laser treatment to form a diamond-like surface) provided little or no protection for the substrate. In addition, the cavitation erosion resistance of other materials – Inconel 718, Nitronic 60, and Stellite 3 – was also compared with that of 316LN for identical screening test conditions.

Thermal Gradient Mass Transfer of Type 316L Stainless Steel and Alloy 718 in Flowing Mercury

Abstract Thermal convection loops (TCLs) fabricated from 316L stainless steel (SS) and containing mercury and a variety of 316L coupons representing variable surface conditions and heat treatments have been operated continuously for periods up to 5000 h. In each case, the maximum TCL temperature was about 305°C, the minimum temperature about 240°C, and the Hg velocity was constant at either 1.2 m/min or 5 m/min, depending on the TCL cross-section diameter. Wetting of 316L by Hg was somewhat sporadic and inconsistent, and was generally encouraged by steam cleaning and/or gold-coating of specimens prior to testing as well as relatively high exposure temperatures. Interaction of 316L and Hg was observed to generate a porous surface layer substantially depleted of Ni and Cr which resulted in transformation to ferrite, but the maximum penetration detected for all of the test conditions corresponded to only about 60–70 μm/yr , with far less penetration for most exposures. In limited testing, alloy 718 was found more resistant to wetting/attack than 316L.

Corrosion of type 6061-T6 aluminum in mercury and mercury vapor

Abstract To examine potential corrosion of aluminum maintenance equipment in environments periodically containing mercury vapor and droplets of liquid mercury, c-rings of 6061-T6 aluminum have been exposed to a series of screening tests. The tests included vapor phase exposures as well as immersion of stressed and unstressed c-rings in the as-received condition and with chemical treatments to modify the passive film. Test conditions included the temperature range 0–160 °C, times of 3–30 days and, in addition to liquid Hg, various Hg vapor environments including residual air, residual helium and condensing conditions. The results indicate 6061-T6 is quite susceptible to pitting and cracking when immersed in Hg for even a brief time, but at least one chemical treatment was shown to improve corrosion resistance under immersion conditions. Type 6061-T6 was found to be essentially immune to vapor phase corrosion for the conditions examined, with only very minor development of pits or pit precursors.

Preliminary Compatibility Assessment of Metallic Dispenser Materials for Service in Ethanol Fuel Blends

The compatibility of selected metals representative of those commonly used in dispensing systems was evaluated in an aggressive E20 formulation (CE20a) and in synthetic gasoline (Reference Fuel C) in identical testing to facilitate comparison of results. The testing was performed at modestly elevated temperature (nominally 60 C) and with constant fluid flow in an effort to accelerate potential interactions in the screening test. Based on weight change, the general corrosion of all individual coupons exposed in the vapor phase above Reference Fuel C and CE20a as well as all coupons immersed in Reference Fuel C was essentially nil (<0.3 {micro}m/y), with no evidence of localized corrosion such as pitting/crevice corrosion or selective leaching at any location. Modest discoloration was observed on the copper-based alloys (cartridge brass and phosphor bronze), but the associated corrosion films were quite thin and apparently protective. For coupons immersed in CE20a, four different materials exhibited net weight loss over the entire course of the experiment: cartridge brass, phosphor bronze, galvanized steel, and terne-plated steel. None of these exhibited substantial incompatibility with the test fluid, with the largest general corrosion rate calculated from coupon weight loss to be approximately 4 {micro}m/y for the cartridge brass specimens. Selective leaching of zinc (from brass) and tin (from bronze) was observed, as well as the presence of sulfide surface films rich in these elements, suggesting the importance of the role of sulfuric acid in the CE20a formulation. Analysis of weight loss data for the slightly corroded metals indicated that the corrosivity of the test environment decreased with exposure time for brass and bronze and increased for galvanized and terne-plated steel. Other materials immersed in CE20a - type 1020 mild steel, type 1100 aluminum, type 201 nickel, and type 304 stainless steel - each appeared essentially immune to corrosion at the test conditions.

Evaluation of Cavitation-Erosion Resistance of 316LN Stainless Steel in Mercury Containing Metallic Solutes

Room temperature cavitation tests of vacuum annealed type 316LN stainless steel were performed in pure Hg and in Hg with various amounts of metallic solute to evaluate potential mitigation of erosion/wastage. Tests were performed using an ultrasonic vibratory horn with specimens attached at the tip. All of the solutes examined, which included 5 wt% In, 10 wt% In, 4.4 wt% Cd, 2 wt% Ga, and a mixture that included 1 wt% each of Pb, Sn, and Zn, were found to increase cavitation-erosion as measured by increased weight loss and/or surface profile development compared to exposures for the same conditions in pure Hg. Qualitatively, each solute appeared to increase the post-test wetting tenacity of the Hg solutions and render the Hg mixture susceptible to manipulation of droplet shape.

MIXTURES OF CO2-SF6 AS WORKING FLUIDS FOR GEOTHERMAL PLANTS

In this paper, mixtures of CO2 and SF6 were evaluated as working fluids for geothermal plants based on property measurements, molecular dynamics modeling, thermodynamic cycle analysis, and materials compatibility assessment. The CO2 - SF6 was evaluated for a reservoir temperature of 160°C. Increasing the efficiency for these low reservoir sources will increase the options available for geothermal energy utilization in more sites across the country. The properties for the mixtures were obtained either from thermodynamic property measurements and molecular dynamics simulations. Optimum compositions of the CO2 - SF6 were identified for a well reservoir temperature and a given water-cooling condition. Concerning the global warming potential, it was estimated that the equivalent CO2 emissions per 1kWh for a Rankine cycle operating with 100% SF6 would be approximately of 7.6% than those for a coal-fired power plant.Copyright

Stress-Assisted Corrosion in Boiler Tubes

A number of industrial boilers, including in the pulp and paper industry, needed to replace their lower furnace tubes or decommission many recovery boilers due to stress-assisted corrosion (SAC) on the waterside of boiler tubes. More than half of the power and recovery boilers that have been inspected reveal SAC damage, which portends significant energy and economic impacts. The goal of this project was to clarify the mechanism of stress-assisted corrosion (SAC) of boiler tubes for the purpose of determining key parameters in its mitigation and control. To accomplish this in-situ strain measurements on boiler tubes were made. Boiler water environment was simulated in the laboratory and effects of water chemistry on SAC initiation and growth were evaluated in terms of industrial operations. Results from this project have shown that the dissolved oxygen is single most important factor in SAC initiation on carbon steel samples. Control of dissolved oxygen can be used to mitigate SAC in industrial boilers. Results have also shown that sharp corrosion fatigue and bulbous SAC cracks have similar mechanism but the morphology is different due to availability of oxygen during boiler shutdown conditions. Results are described in the final technical report.

Influence of mercury velocity on compatibility with type 316L/316LN stainless steel in a flow loop

Previous experiments to examine corrosion resulting from thermal gradient mass transfer of type 316L stainless steel in mercury were conducted in thermal convection loops (TCLs) with an Hg velocity of about 1 m/min. These tests have now been supplemented with a series of experiments designed to examine the influence of increased flow velocity and possible cavitation conditions on compatibility. In one experiment, the standard TCL design was modified to include a reduced section in the hot leg that provided a concomitant increase in the local velocity by a factor of five. In addition, a pumped-loop experiment was operated with a flow velocity of about 1 m/s. Finally, a TCL was modified to include an ultrasonic transducer at the top of the hot leg in an attempt to generate cavitation conditions with corresponding extreme local velocity associated with collapsing bubbles. The results indicate that compatibility of type 316L/316LN stainless steel does not depend significantly on liquid metal velocity in the range of 1 m/min to 1 m/s. Benchtop cavitation experiments revealed susceptibility of 316L coupons to significant weight losses and increases in surface roughness as a result of 24 h exposure to 1.5 MPa pressure waves in Hg generated ultrasonically at 20 kHz. However, attempts to generate cavitation conditions on coupons inside the TCL with the ultrasonic transducer proved largely unsuccessful.

Superhydrophobic powder additives to enhance chemical agent resistant coating systems for military equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPAC) Program

The primary goal of the CPAC program at ORNL was to explore the feasibility of introducing various silica-based superhydrophobic (SH) powder additives as a way to improve the corrosion resistance of US Department of Defense (DOD) military-grade chemical agent resistant coating (CARC) systems. ORNL had previously developed and patented several SH technologies of interest to the USMC, and one of the objectives of this program was to identify methods to incorporate these technologies into the USMC’s corrosion-resistance strategy. This report discusses findings of the CPAC and their application.

Engine Materials Compatibility with Alternate Fuels

The compatibility of aluminum and aluminum alloys with synthetic fuel blends comprised of ethanol and reference fuel C (a 50/50 mix of toluene and iso-octane) was examined as a function of water content and temperature. Commercially pure wrought aluminum and several cast aluminum alloys were observed to be similarly susceptible to substantial corrosion in dry (< 50 ppm water) ethanol. Corrosion rates of all the aluminum materials examined were accelerated by increased temperature and ethanol content in the fuel mixture, but inhibited by increased water content. Pretreatments designed to stabilize passive films on aluminum increased the incubation time for onset of corrosion, suggesting film stability is a significant factor in the mechanism of corrosion.