Work

High-Temperature Corrosion of Different Steels in Liquid Sn-Bi-Zn Heat Transfer Alloy

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In the fields of nuclear engineering and solar thermal utilization, low melting point alloys with excellent thermal conductivity and heat transfer performance have attracted extensive research as a new generation of heat transfer fluids, leading to many fundamental and important application issues. This study investigates the high-temperature corrosion behavior of Sn-50Bi-2Zn (wt.%) heat transfer alloy against 304 stainless steel (304), 310S heat-resistant steel (310S), and 20 carbon steel (20C) at 600 °C. Theoretical analysis, based on Fick’s diffusion law, and experimental measurements reveal significant differences in corrosion severity. After 473 h, 20 carbon steel exhibited the lowest corrosion layer thickness (0.07 mm), while 310S suffered the most severe corrosion (1.50 mm), exceeding 304SS (0.83 mm) by 81%. Diffusion coefficients derived from Sn penetration depths further quantified these trends: D310S = 2.51 × 10−7 mm2/s (6.8 × higher than 304: 3.7 × 10−8 mm2/s) and D20C = 2.87 × 10−10 mm2/s (128 × lower than 304SS). XRF analysis confirmed the dissolution of steel components into the molten alloy, with Fe, Cr, and Ni content increasing to 0.382 wt.%, 0.417 wt.%, and 0.694 wt.%, respectively, after 480 h. These results underscore the critical role of Ni content in accelerating Sn/Zn diffusion and pore formation, providing actionable insights for material selection in high-temperature heat transfer systems.

Source: Materials

DOI: 10.3390/ma18092149

Authors: Qingmeng Wang, Xiuli Wang, Xiaomin Cheng, Qianju Cheng, Yi Yang

Institutions: Huanggang Normal University, Wuhan University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Thermodynamic and Structural Properties of Metals and Alloys

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137

Funder: Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province