Effects of Cr, Mo, and W on Na2SO4 induced high temperature corrosion of Ni

Operating gas turbine engines are susceptible to a phenomenon called hot corrosion. Hot corrosion is generally attributed to the interaction of nickel-base turbine blade alloys with ingested sodium sulfate. Two mechanism were presented previously to account for the surface and grain boundary corrosion of nickel metal. The effects of chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten, or their corrosion products on the corrosion of nickel metal were studied. The corrosion products considered are the oxides and sodium-oxygen compounds. The corrosion products of molybdenum and tungsten enhance the sodium sulfate-induced corrosion of nickel to the same degree as the metals themselves while those of chromium do not. The enhanced corrosion caused by sodium molybdate or tungstate suggests that more than a simple acid-base phenomenon is involved. The formation of a triable, porous film caused by the presence of nickel molybdate or tungstate is proposed as the mechanism responsible for this enhancement. This mechanism is consistent with that proposed by Lashka and Glezer who associated the intensified oxidation of molybdenum-containing nickel alloys with a sub-layer oxide scale containing nickel molybdate. (U.S.)