Co-firing
of biomass is currently attracting more attention because
it is a major step toward reducing CO2 emissions from power
generation and can be directly realized within existing plants. Despite
its many benefits, considerable challenges in terms of corrosion prevention
and durability of the plant components arise because of highly increased
amounts of chlorine and alkali species inside the steam generator.
Ferritic–martensitic superheater tube steels are particularly
challenged and subjected to rapid degradation with the pursuit of
achieving higher biomass-to-coal firing ratios. In order to improve
the corrosion behavior of such structural materials in environments
relevant for biomass (co-)firing, the present paper suggests enrichment
of Ni (against chlorine-induced attack) and Cr (against sulfur-induced
attack) in the surfaces of the metallic tubes. For this purpose, a
Cr and a combined Ni + Cr diffusion coating were manufactured on ferritic–martensitic
X20CrMoV12-1 steel and investigated in environments simulating pure
coal, co-firing, as well as pure biomass firing (straw). Exposure
tests were conducted at 650 °C for up to 1900 h in SO2- and/or HCl-containing atmospheres with specimens embedded in real
power plant combustion ashes. Pure biomass firing clearly accelerated
the corrosion attack compared to partial substitution of coal and
pure coal firing. However, the Ni + Cr coating performed very well
and increased the corrosion resistance of the ferritic–martensitic
substrate. As far as degradation mechanisms are concerned, the first
stage of the attack turned out to be dominated by chlorine followed
by a shift toward sulfur-induced corrosion.