Assessing the kinetics of high temperature oxidation of Inconel 617 in a dedicated HTR impure helium facility coupling thermogravimetry and gas phase chromatography

A new facility coupling thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with gas phase chromatography (GPC) has been developed. This facility is dedicated for studying high temperature oxidation of Inconel 617 in impure helium enironment containing H2O, H-2 and CO at very low partial pressures (in the Pa range), which is representative of the high temperature reactor (HTR) concept developed within the Generation IV Forum. Simultaneous acquisition of mass gain and gas composition has allowed the influence of carbon monoxide and water vapour on the kinetics of oxidation to be studied. GPC measurements of gas consumption have allowed the plotting of individual mass gain curves for oxidation by H2O and CO. During isothermal exposure at 1123 K for 20 h, the oxidation was mainly due to water vapour with a minor contribution of carbon monoxide during the first hours. The contribution of water vapour to the oxidation kinetics was extracted. It was shown to obey a complete parabolic law and to be limited by an interfacial reaction during the first few hours of oxidation and to be controlled by a mixed interfacial and diffusion process, diffusion becoming the rate-determining step for long term oxidation. There was very good agreement between GPC measurements and the experimental TGA results. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.