The corrosion of vanadium and vanadium-base binary alloys in oxygen-saturated liquid sodium

The corrosion of vanadium and vanadium-base binary alloys, VCr, VAl, VFe, and VMo, in oxygen-saturated sodium was studied. A ternary oxide containing sodium and vanadium was detected in the corrosion product formed on vanadium. The formation rate of the corrosion product followed a linear rate law above 450°C. From examination of alloying additions on the corrosion of vanadium, molybdenum was found to improve considerably the corrosion resistance of vanadium to the liquid sodium. In particular a V50wt%Mo alloy was observed to corrode only very slightly in sodium. The corrosion resistance of the VMo alloys was considered to be caused by molybdenum enrichment of the surface layers as the corrosion proceeded.