Corrosion and protection of metallic materials in molten carbonates for concentrating solar power and molten carbonate electrolysis applications

Abstract

Molten carbonates have recently attracted increasing interest for use as effective functional media in the fields of sustainable energy processes such as the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants and the molten carbonate electrolysis (MCE) process. The compatibility between metallic materials and molten carbonate media is one of the important considerations and significant technical challenges for the practical molten carbonate application. Herein, we summarized the behaviors and mechanisms of molten carbonate-induced corrosion of metallic materials. The effects of operating temperature, gas atmosphere, electrochemical polarization, alloy elements, gas-liquid interface, and dynamic conditions on the corrosion behaviors and mechanisms of metals in molten carbonates were systematically reviewed. In addition, the corrosion mitigation approaches including regulation of melt basicity and surface treatments of metals are discussed. This review will serve as the foundation for further research addressing the challenges of molten carbonate-induced corrosion and enabling the effective applications of molten carbonates in a sustainable and low-carbon world.