Influence of Temperature and Water Vapour on the High-Temperature Oxidation and Cr Evaporation Behaviour of High-Cr Alloys for SOFC Cathode Air Pre-Heaters

Abstract

The oxidation and Cr2O3 evaporation mechanisms of the stainless steels Inconel 625, SS309 and AluChrom 318 have been investigated by varying temperatures and water content of the exposure atmosphere. The finding of this research demonstrates that Cr2O3 evaporation and oxidation rates were significantly lowered with decreasing temperature for Inconel 625 and SS309. AluChrom 318 showed a decreased oxidation rate with decreasing temperature, but it demonstrated a reverse trend to the temperature-dependent Cr2O3 evaporation compared to Inconel 625 and SS309. The major influence of water vapour on the three tested materials appeared to be the further increase of Cr2O3 evaporation.