Effect of Cr Content on Hot Corrosion Behavior of Inconel Alloys in Molten LiCl–Li2O

The hot corrosion behaviors of Inconel alloys with different Cr contents (Inconel 600, 601, and 690), which are used widely in nuclear plants, were investigated in molten LiCl–Li₂O salts. The hot corrosion behaviors were studied by measuring the mass and attack depth changes, surface and cross-sectional morphologies and elemental distributions, and compositional changes at the subscale and substrate scale as well as the spalled oxide scale. At 288 h, the weight losses of Inconel 601 and Inconel 690 were approximately four and twelve times higher, respectively, than that of Inconel 600. The corrosion products of all tested alloys were Cr₂O₃, NiO, and FeCr₂O₄. Inconel 600, which exhibited a dense and continuous external corrosion layer and an internal corrosion layer with localized corrosion behavior, exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared with those of Inconel 601 and 690, which showed a spalled external corrosion layer and an internal corrosion layer with uniform corrosion behavior. Thus, the corrosion resistance of the Inconel alloys tested in the hot lithium molten salts in an oxidizing atmosphere is closely related to the contents of the primary alloying elements in the alloys. Of the various alloys analyzed in this study, Inconel 600 exhibited the highest corrosion resistance. Thus, a Cr content of 16.30 wt% or less, Ni content of at least 73.66 wt%, and Fe content considerably lower than 8.15 wt% can result in excellent corrosion resistance.