Pitting corrosion in CVD SiC at 300 °C in deoxygenated high-purity water

SiC is a candidate for nuclear applications at elevated temperatures but has not been fully studied under typical light-water reactor operating conditions, such as moderate temperatures and high pressures. Coupons of high-purity chemical vapor deposited SiC were exposed to deoxygenated, pressurized water at 573 K and 10 MPa for up to 5400 h. Ceramographic examination of the exposed SiC surfaces revealed both embryonic and large, d > 300 μm, pits on the surface after initial exposure for 4000 h. The pits were characterized using scanning electron microscopy for structure and chemistry analysis. Pit densities were also determined by standard counting methods. The chemical analysis revealed that the pits are associated with the formation of silica and subsequent loss of Si, which is expected due to several suggested reactions between SiC and water. Subsequent exposure under nominally identical water chemistry conditions for an additional 1400 h removed the pits and the samples exhibited general corrosion with measurable loss of Si from the surface.