Corrosion of metals and alloys in mixed gas environments at elevated temperatures

The attack of nickel, cobalt, iron, and alloys of these metals containing chromium and aluminum, by gases containing sulfur-oxygen, carbon-oxygen, and nitrogen-oxygen has been studied at temperatures of 600 and 900°C. The degradation of these metals and alloys was characterized by using standard analytical techniques with emphasis on optical metallography. Three types of accelerated degradation were identified for the attack of alloys by gases containing another oxidant in addition to oxygen. One type of degradation occurred because of the formation of reaction products composed of mixtures of phases involving both of the oxidants. Another type resulted from the reaction of second oxidant phases with oxygen. The third form of degradation involved the development of less protective phases due to thermodynamic instabilities. Thermodynamic stability diagrams are used to help account for the effects produced by different elements in the alloys.