Effect of copper on metal dusting of austenitic stainless steels

Three steels, 304SS, 310SS and 800H, were alloyed with 5%, 10%, and 20% (by weight) copper, and then exposed to 68%CO-31%H₂-1%H₂O gas at 680 °C (a_C = 19 and p_O2=5.4×10^-25 atm) under thermal cycling conditions. Kinetic measurements showed that copper-free alloys all dusted, with 304SS experiencing the greatest metal wastage. Copper additions did not have any effect on metal wastage of 304SS, but reduced the attack on 310SS and 800H markedly at levels of 5% and 10%. However, increasing the copper content to 20% produced large copper-rich precipitates which accelerated dusting by promoting internal graphitisation.Dusting was associated with surface coking. When pitting occurred, on copper-free alloys and on copper containing 304SS, large coke structures grew above the pits. Internal grain boundary carburisation always took place, and intragranular carbides also precipitated when dusting occurred. A lamellar surface layer of internally precipitated spinel and austenite also developed in association with dusting. The copper effect is discussed in terms of its alloy solubility and its known beneficial effect in Ni-Cu binaries.     

Effect of H2S on metal dusting of iron

A review is given on the effect of H₂S on metal dusting of iron which has been studied by gas carburisation in CO‐H₂‐H₂O‐H₂S and CH₄‐H₂‐H₂S mixtures at 500 and 700°C. The presence of H₂S in carburising gas atmospheres leads to sulphur adsorption on the iron surface, which retards carbon transfer. Segregation experiments and surface analyses have shown that sulphur segregates (and thus adsorbs) on cementite surfaces as well as on iron surfaces. The adsorbed sulphur also suppresses graphite nucleation and thus can stop the reaction sequence of metal dusting. Experiments by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) have shown that the extent of retardation of metal dusting depends on temperature, carbon activity and H₂S content. The higher the carbon activity, the higher is the H₂S content required for suppression of metal dusting. At carbon activities a_C > a_C(Fe/Fe₃C) the metastable iron carbide, cementite (Fe₃C), occurs as an intermediate phase during metal dusting. Carburisation experiments in CO‐H₂‐H₂O‐H₂S mixtures at 500°C and X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD) of carburised samples have revealed that at very high carbon activities a second iron carbide, Hägg carbide (Fe₅C₂), forms on the cementite surface. Microstructural investigations have shown that both metastable carbides decompose during metal dusting. Metal dusting experiments on iron at 700°C have been performed in CH₄‐H₂‐H₂S gas mixtures. By adding 15 ppm H₂S to the CH₄‐H₂ atmosphere the onset of metal dusting can be retarded for more than 350 hours. By means of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) it was shown that coke contains graphite, cementite and iron particles with adsorbed sulphur.     

Metal dusting of binary iron aluminium alloys at 600 °C

In this work experiments on metal dusting of binary iron aluminium alloys with 15, 26 and 40 at.% Al were performed in strongly carburising CO‐H₂‐H₂O gas mixtures at 600 °C. The mass gain kinetics was measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The carburised samples were characterised by means of light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the mass gain kinetics depends on the CO content of the gas mixtures and on the Al content of the alloys. With decreasing carbon activity the carburisation reaction kinetics decreases and the onset of metal dusting is retarded for increasing time periods. With increasing Al content of the alloys the carburisation reaction is slower and metal dusting sets on at later times. The samples were not pre‐treated for the formation of a protective oxide scale. By X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the carburised iron aluminium samples it was found that the formation of Al₂O₃ layers has taken place in the CO‐H₂‐H₂O gas atmospheres. Needle‐ or plate‐like κ‐phase (Fe₃AlC_x) precipitates close to the surface of the carburised Fe‐15Al sample were detected by means of XRD and LOM. The coke on top of the carburised samples mainly consists of filamentous carbon with metal particles at their tips.     

Alloying with copper to reduce metal dusting of nickel

Copper is thought to be noncatalytic to carbon deposition from gas atmospheres, and owing to its extremely low solubility for carbon, inert to the metal dusting reaction. Thus, the addition of copper to nickel, which forms a near perfect solid solution, may be able to suppress or greatly retard the metal dusting of the alloy, without the need for a protective oxide scale on the surface. The dusting behaviour of Ni‐Cu alloys containing up to 50 wt% Cu, along with pure Cu, was investigated in a 68%CO‐31%H₂‐1%H₂O gas mixture (a_C: 19) at 680°C for up to 150 h. Surface analysis showed that two types of carbon deposits, graphite particle clusters and filaments, were observed on pure Ni and Ni‐Cu alloys with Cu contents of up to 5 wt%. Alloys with more than 10 wt% Cu showed very little coking, forming filaments only. SEM and TEM analyses revealed metal particles encapsulated by graphite shells within the graphite particle clusters, and metal particles at filament tips or embedded along their lengths. A kinetic investigation showed that alloy dusting rates decreased significantly with increasing copper levels up to 10 wt%. At copper concentrations of more than 20 wt%, the rate of metal dusting was negligible. Although pure copper is not catalytic to carbon formation, scattered carbon nanotubes were observed on its surface. The effect of copper on alloy dusting rates is attributed to a dilution effect.     

Effect of gas composition on cementite decomposition and coke formation on iron

Cementite decomposition and coke formation in the metal dusting process of iron were investigated at 700 °C in CO-H₂-H₂O gas mixtures. The presence of graphite deposited on the surface initiates the decomposition of cementite into iron and graphite. The morphology of the reaction products varies with gas composition. For CO concentrations less than 5 vol%, particles of iron or even closed iron layers have been observed at the cementite/graphite interface. With increasing CO content the amount of iron in the interface decreases. At CO concentrations higher than 30 vol%, iron could not be detected at the interface by optical microscopy. Thermo-gravimetric analysis shows that the rate of carbon take-up increases with increasing CO concentration reaching a maximum at about 60-75 vol%.The morphologies of graphite in the coke layer can be identified as three types: porous graphite clusters with embedded iron-containing particles, compact bulk graphite with a uniform thickness and a columnar layered structure, and filamentous carbon with iron-containing phases at the tip or along its length. For gas mixtures with low CO concentrations, e.g. 5 vol%, porous graphite clusters are the main form of carbon although filamentous carbon can be seen at the early stage of reaction. With increasing CO concentrations to, e.g. 30 vol%, a compact bulk graphite is formed on the top of the surface. Under this compact graphite, there is an inner layer of graphite which is the combination of porous graphite clusters and filaments. These two layers of graphite are clearly distinguishable when CO content reaches more than 75 vol%. In this case, the main form of graphite in the inner layer is filamentous carbon. The compact graphite layer suffers a serious deformation and forms many cracks because of the growth of catalytic filamentous carbon underneath. These filaments grow outside from compact graphite crevices and finally cover the whole surface. The higher the CO content in the gas, the more the tendency of filamentous carbon formation. The interplay between morphologies of carbon formation and metal dusting has been discussed.     

Surface analytical studies of metal dusting of iron in CH4‐H2‐H2S mixtures

The metastable iron carbide, cementite (Fe₃C), occurs as an intermediate phase during the high temperature corrosion process called “metal dusting”. The kinetics and thermodynamics of metal dusting of iron have been studied by Grabke et al. [1–5] using CO‐H₂‐H₂O and CH₄‐H₂ gas mixtures. H₂S additions to carburising atmospheres impede the carbon transfer and retard the onset of metal dusting [6–14], thus allowing to study the early stages of the process. In this work the metal dusting process was studied in CH₄‐H₂‐H₂S atmospheres at 700 °C. Segregation experiments and surface analyses showed that S segregates on iron surfaces as well as on cementite surfaces. By means of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM) and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) it was shown that coke contains graphite, cementite and iron particles with adsorbed sulphur.     

Metal dusting

Metal dusting is a catastrophic carburization of steels which leads to disintegration of the material to a mixture of powdery carbon and metal particles leaving pits and grooves. The phenomenon was simulated by carburization of low-and high-alloy steels in CO-H₂-H₂O mixtures at carbon activities > 1 in the temperature range 600–700°C. The occurance of an unstable carbide M₃C (M=Fe, Ni), as an intermediate in metal dusting, was proven—the reaction sequence involves over saturation of the metal matrix with carbon, M₃C formation at the surface, subsequent decomposition of the M₃C layer M₃C3 M+ C, leading to carbon with interspersed metal particles which act as catalysts for additional carbon deposition from the gas atmosphere. With increasing Ni content in Fe-Ni alloys, typical metal dusting is suppressed, but another mode of deterioration was observed, involving graphite growth on the grain boundaries. The high-alloy, chromia-forming alloys showed metal dusting only when chromia formation was suppressed by electropolishing the materials.     

Oxidation, carburisation and metal dusting of 304 stainless steel in CO/CO2 and CO/H2/H2O gas mixtures

The oxidation and carburisation behaviour of 304 stainless steel was studied during thermal cycling in CO/CO₂ at 700 °C, and also in CO/H₂/H₂O at 680 °C. Thermal cycling caused repeated scale separation which accelerated chromium depletion from the alloy subsurface regions. The CO/CO₂ gas, with a_C=7 and , caused internal precipitation of oxides and carbides, some surface damage, but no dusting. In contrast, the CO/H₂/H₂O gas, with a_C = 19 and caused rapid graphite deposition and metal dusting. This was accompanied by internal oxidation and carburisation. The internal oxide was identified as spinel, which forms in the short term, but not at long reaction time. Its formation produced a significant volume expansion, which disrupted the material and resulted in surface damage in both gas atmospheres. In CO/H₂/H₂O, however, direct graphite deposition and metal disintegration into dust was the main reaction. The very different reaction morphologies produced by the two gas mixtures are discussed in terms of competing gas-alloy reaction steps.     

Metal dusting on an alumina forming Ni-base alloy

A high-performance commercial alumina-forming Ni-base alloy was studied after a 2 years field exposure at 540 °C in a methanol plant with a gas composition of 10-20%CO and 20-40%H₂O, with some CO₂ and the remainder H₂. The same material was also used in laboratory studies performed at 650 °C using a gas mixture with higher CO and lower H₂O content; 50%CO + 3%H₂O + 47H₂ (carbon activity a_c = 39). Post-exposure metallographic examinations together with thermodynamic calculations were used to identify and describe the metal dusting processes.A growth mechanism for metal dusting in nickel base alloys, which is independent of metal bulk diffusion, is identified. The process involves a separation of the carbon-saturated metal into a network of discontinuous precipitated carbides and a depleted Ni-austenite matrix followed by selective oxidation of the carbide network. The corrosion product consists of Cr-depleted Ni-particles, Cr-rich oxides and free carbon. The estimated metal dusting corrosion rate in the field exposure was 20-25 μm/year, based on metallography and it was correlated to a theoretical model based on boundary diffusion processes.     

Improving metal dusting resistance of. transition‐metals and Ni‐Cu alloys

The present study focuses on a new technique for the prevention of metal dusting in carbonaceous gas environments at intermediate temperature. Preliminary laboratory metal dusting test was conducted for transition‐metals and Ni‐x%Cu binary alloys in a simulated 60%CO‐26%H₂‐11.5%CO₂‐2.5%H₂O (in vol.%) gas mixture at 650°C for 100 h. The metal dusting caused no coke deposition on transition‐metals of Cu, Ag, and Pt, while those of Fe, Co, and Ni have a large amount of coke and lost mass. Whether or not coking behavior of Ni‐Cu binary alloys formed any oxide scales in the simulated gas environment depended on the Cu content. Specimens containing low Cu were entirely covered with coke and showed rough metal surfaces due to the degradation of metal. Alloys of 20% and more Cu, on the contrary, had no coke deposition and smooth metal surfaces, suggesting alloys with an adequate Cu do not react with CO in the gas mixture without an oxide scale barrier. Based on these results, we conclude that Cu does not protect by formation of the oxide scale but has a “Surfactant‐Mediated Suppression” against metal dusting. This effect can be explained in terms of atomistic interaction of CO with transition‐metal surfaces by electronic structure analyses. The concept can be also useful for the practical material design of Ni‐Cr base alloy with excellent metal dusting resistance.     

Metal dusting of nickel-base alloys

Metal dusting, the disintegration of metallic materials into fine metal particles and graphite was studied on nickel, Fe Ni alloys and commercial Ni-base alloys in CO H₂ H₂O mixtures at temperatures between 450–750°C. At carbon activities a_c > 1 all metals can be destroyed into which carbon ingress is possible, high nickel alloys directly by graphite growth into and in the material, steels via the intermediate formation of instable carbide M₃C. Protection is possible only by preventing carbon ingress. Chromium oxide formation is the best way of protection which is favoured by a high chromium concentration of the alloy and by a surface treatment which generates fast diffusion paths for the supply of chromium to the surface. The metal dusting behaviour of Alloy 600 is described in detail. A ranking of the metal dusting resistance of different commercial nickel-base alloys was obtained by exposures at 650°C and 750°C.     

Initiation and growth of iron metal dusting in CO-H2-H2O gas mixtures

The initiation and growth of iron metal dusting in CO-H₂-H₂O gas mixtures at 700 °C were investigated by surface observations of very early stages of the reaction. At first, iron was supersaturated with dissolved carbon and its surface became facetted. The nucleation of graphite and cementite depended on the surface crystallographic orientation. A fine grain structure at ground surfaces and a high carbon activity accelerated cementite nucleation. Further carburisation resulted in the formation of particulate areas mixed with deposited graphite, which accelerated the spallation of cementite and the protrusion of round particles. In some areas, large graphite mounds and bulk graphite were formed on the surface. Filamentous carbon was found in particulate areas and surrounding the graphite mounds. Based on these observations, a possible process of iron metal dusting was discussed.     

High-temperature corrosion observed in austenitic coils and tubes in a direct reduction process

The subject of this study is related to the performance of austenitic steel coils and tubes, in a range of temperatures between 425 and 870°C for the transport of reducing gas, in an installation involving the direct reduction of iron-ore by reforming natural gas. Evidence is presented that metal dusting is not the only unique high-temperature corrosion mechanism that caused catastrophic failures of austenitic 304 (UNS S304 00) coils and HK-40 (UNS J94204) tubes. Sensitization as well as stress corrosion cracking occurred in 304 stainless steel coils and metal dusting took place in HK-40 tubes, a high resistance alloy. The role of continuous injection of H₂S into the process is suggested to avoid the high resistance metal dusting corrosion mechanism found in this kind of installation.     

Coking by metal dusting of steels

In process industries coking is an annoying phenomenon, the carbon deposition causes decrease of heat transfer and hinders gas flow. Coking in a process may indicate metal dusting, i.e. the disintegration of metals and alloys in carbonaceous atmospheres under formation of graphite and fine metal particles. The metal particles act as catalysts for vast coke formation. The thermodynamics, mechanisms and kinetics of metal dusting have been studied on iron and steels in synthesis respectively reduction gas CO-H₂- H₂O, here the aspects are presented of coking due to metal dusting. From the interplay of the metal disintegration and carbon deposition rather complex coupled kinetics are resulting, even different in a low temperature range where the decomposition of the intermediate cementite is rate determining and in a higher temperature range where the carbon transfer from the atmosphere is rate controlling. Coking by metal dusting can be suppressed in the same way as metal dusting, by sulfur addition to the atmosphere and/or by a stable dense protective oxide layer.     

轧制纳米块体304不锈钢腐蚀行为的研究Ⅱ钝化膜保护性能

采用动电位极化曲线和Mott-Schottky分析等电化学测试手段,探讨了轧制纳米块体304不锈钢与普通304不锈钢在0.05mol/L H2SO4＋0.05mol/L Na2SO4溶液中钝化膜的保护性能;运用点缺陷（PDM）模型,分析了不同电位下在0.05mol/L H2SO4＋0.25mol/L Na2SO4溶液中两种材料形成钝化膜的半导体性质,阐述了导致两种钝化膜保护性能差异的根本原因.结果表明：两种材料表面钝化膜都具有n型半导体特征,氧空穴作为主要的载流子参与钝化膜的形成和溶解过程;钝化膜中载流子密度与钝化膜的形成电位之间满足幂指数关系,载流子在两种材料表面的钝化膜中的扩散系数非常接近,说明两种钝化膜遵从相似的形成和溶解机制,但轧制纳米块体304不锈钢中的载流子密度小于普通304不锈钢钝化膜中的载流子密度,从而使其钝化膜具有更好的保护性.     

A corrosion study of nickel–copper and nickel–copper–palladium welding filler metals

In an effort to reduce the release of fumes containing carcinogenic Cr⁶⁺ during arc welding of stainless steel, Cr‐free filler metals for welding of SS304 have been developed. Corrosion studies were carried out on 304L stainless steel samples welded with these Cr‐free consumables. The corrosion properties of gas tungsten arc (GTA) and shielded metal arc (SMA) welds fabricated with Ni? Cu and Ni? Cu? Pd consumables were found to be comparable to those of welds fabricated with SS308L, the standard filler metal used with SS304. Although the breakdown potentials of the welds made using both welding processes were lower than that of the SS308L GTA weld, the repassivation potentials of these welds were much higher. Generally, the repassivation potential is a more conservative measure of susceptibility to localized corrosion. Accordingly, the Ni? Cu and Ni? Cu? Pd welds were more resistant to crevice corrosion than SS308L welds. The addition of a small amount of Pd improved the corrosion resistance relative to Ni? Cu welds, which is consistent with previous studies from specially‐prepared button samples and bead‐on‐plate samples. Other corrosion studies such as creviced and uncreviced long time immersion, atmospheric exposure, and slow strain rate testing suggest that Ni? Cu? Pd filler metal can be a potential replacement for the conventional SS308L filler metal for joining SS304.     

Recent advances in understanding metal dusting: A review

Recent experimental investigations have widened the understanding of metal dusting significantly. Microscopic observations have been used to dissect dusting mechanisms. Iron dusts by growing a cementite surface scale, which catalyses graphite nucleation and growth. The resulting volume expansion leads to cementite disintegration. Cementite formation on iron can be suppressed by alloying with germanium. Nonetheless, dusting occurs via the direct growth of graphite into the metal, producing nanoparticles of ferrite. This process is faster, because carbon diffusion is more rapid in α‐Fe than in Fe₃C. Austenitic materials cannot form cementite, and dust via formation of graphite at external surfaces and interior grain boundaries. The coke deposit consists of carbon nanotubes with austenite particles at their tips, or graphite particles encapsulating austenite. TEM studies demonstrate the inward growth of graphite within the metal interior. It is therefore concluded that the dusting mechanism of austenitic materials like high alloy Cr–Ni steels and Ni base materials is one of graphite nucleation and growth within the near surface metal. In all alloys examined, both ferritic and austenitic, the principal mass transfer process is inward diffusion of carbon. Alloying iron with nickel leads to a transformation from one mechanism with carbide formation to the other without. Copper alloying in nickel and high nickel content stainless steels strongly suppresses graphite nucleation, as does also an intermetallic Ni–Sn phase, thereby reducing greatly the overall dusting rate. A surface layer of intermetallic Ni–Sn Fe‐base materials facilitates the formation of a Fe₃SnC surface scale which also prevents coking and metal dusting. Current understanding of the roles of temperature, gas composition and surface oxides on dusting rates are summarised. Finally, protection against metal dusting by coatings is discussed in terms of their effects on catalysis of carbon deposition, and on protective oxide formation.     

Corrosion resistance of Ni‐50Cr HVOF coatings on 310S alloy substrates in a metal dusting atmosphere

Metal dusting attack has been examined after three 168 h cycles on two Ni‐50Cr coatings with different microstructures deposited on 310S alloy substrates by the high velocity oxy‐fuel (HVOF) thermal‐spray process. Metal dusting in uncoated 310S alloy specimens was found to be still in the initiation stage after 504 h of exposure in the 50H₂:50CO gas environment at 620 °C. Dense Ni‐50Cr coatings offered suitable resistance to metal dusting. Metal dusting was observed in the 310S substrates adjacent to pores at the interface between the substrate and a porous Ni‐50Cr coating. The porosity present in the as‐deposited coatings was shown to introduce a large variability into coating performance. Carbon formed by decomposition of the gaseous species accumulated in the surface pores and resulted in the dislodgement of surface splats due to stresses generated by the volume changes. When the corrosive gas atmosphere was able to penetrate through the interconnected pores and reach the coating–substrate interface, the 310S substrate was carburized, metal dusting attack occurred, and the resulting formation of coke in the pores led to local failure of the coating.     

Thermodynamic Roles of Metallic Elements in Carburization and Metal Dusting

This paper addresses the thermodynamic aspects of metallic elements (typically Fe, Ni, and Cr) in carburization and metal-dusting processes in CH₄–H₂, CO–CO₂, and CO–H₂O–H₂ carburizing gas mixtures, and their possible contributions to understanding of carburization and metal-dusting phenomena. Carburization requires $a_C \left( {gas} \right) > a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right) \cdot a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)$ is solely temperature-dependent, while a_C (gas) is dependent not only on temperature but also on gas chemistry and total pressure. In general, metallic elements tend to be carburized at higher temperatures in CH₄–H₂, but at lower temperatures in CO–CO₂ and CO–H₂O–H₂ carburizing gas mixtures. For metal dusting to occur, $a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)$ (gas)> 1 (first-type) and $a_C \left( {gas} \right) > a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)$ ; 1 (second-type) should be satisfied. Possible regimes for first- and second-type metal dusting are discussed for pure Fe and Ni, and the range for first-type metal dusting of Ni is considerably broader than that for Fe.