Field exposure of FeCrAl model alloys in a waste-fired boiler at 600°C: The influence of Cr and Si on the corrosion behaviour

Journal article, 2019

Materials and Corrosion WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim The aim of this study was to examine the performance of FeCrAl model alloys in a waste-fired boiler and investigate the influence of chromium and silicon content on the corrosion behaviour. The investigation was executed by utilising an air-cooled probe, giving a material temperature of 600°C throughout a 672 hr exposure. The material loss measurements were performed by utilizing an ultrasonic thickness gauge in combination with scanning electron microscopy analysis. It was found that increasing the chromium content significantly reduced the overall material loss of the FeCrAl model alloys but further accelerated the corrosion attack on the windward side. Simultaneously, the increased chromium content caused embrittlement of the material. Minor additions of silicon drastically reduced the material loss of the FeCrAl model alloys, whereas the sample ring with no silicon present was completely deteriorated. The trends observed in this field study correlated well with what has been observed in previous laboratory studies. A state-of-the-art alloy in the present environment, Inconel 625, was simultaneously exposed and showed similar performance to the silicon-containing FeCrAl model alloys with ≥10 wt% Cr.