Assessing the kinetics of high temperature oxidation of Inconel 617 in a dedicated HTR impure helium facility coupling thermogravimetry and gas phase chromatography

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted -- Highlights: •New facility coupling thermogravimetry (TGA) with gas phase chromatography (GPC). •Dedicated for HT oxidation study in VHTR impure helium containing CO, H2O and H2. •The oxidation kinetics obeys a complete parabolic law due to a mixed kinetic regime. •CO contributes during initial stage of oxidation only for very low H2O partial pressure. •Long-term oxidation of Inconel 617 by H2O is diffusion controlled with constant kp. -- Abstract: A new facility coupling thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with gas phase chromatography (GPC) has been developed. This facility is dedicated for studying high temperature oxidation of Inconel 617 in impure helium environment containing H2O, H2 and CO at very low partial pressures (in the Pa range), which is representative of the high temperature reactor (HTR) concept developed within the Generation IV Forum. Simultaneous acquisition of mass gain and gas composition has allowed the influence of carbon monoxide and water vapour on the kinetics of oxidation to be studied. GPC measurements of gas consumption have allowed the plotting of individual mass gain curves for oxidation by H2O and CO. During isothermal exposure at 1123 K for 20 h, the oxidation was mainly due to water vapour with a minor contribution of carbon monoxide during the first hours. The contribution of water vapour to the oxidation kinetics was extracted. It was shown to obey a complete parabolic law and to be limited by an interfacial reaction during the first few hours of oxidation and to be controlled by a mixed interfacial and diffusion process, diffusion becoming the rate-determining step for long term oxidation. There was very good agreement between GPC measurements and the experimental TGA results