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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Study of a chromia-forming alloy behavior as interconnect material for High Temperature Vapor Electrolysis

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In High Temperature Vapor Electrolysis (HTVE) system, the materials chosen for the interconnectors should have a good corrosion behaviour in air and in H2-H2O mixtures at 800°C, and keep a high electronic conductivity over long durations as well. In this context, the first goal of this study was to evaluate a commercial ferritic alloy (the K41X alloy) as interconnect for HTVE application. Oxidation tests in furnace and in microbalance have therefore been carried out in order to determine oxidation kinetics. Meanwhile, the Area Specific Resistance (ASR) was evaluated by Contact Resistance measurements performed at 800°C. The second objective was to improve our comprehension of chromia-forming alloys oxidation mechanism, in particular in H2/H2O mixtures. For that purpose, some specific tests have been conducted: tracer experiments, coupled with the characterization of the oxide scale by PEC (PhotoElectroChemistry). This approach has also been applied to the study of a LaCrO3 perovskite oxide coating on the K41X alloy. This phase is indeed of high interest for HTVE applications due to its high conductivity properties. This latter study leads to further understanding on the role of lanthanum as reactive element, which effect is still under discussion in literature.In both media at 800°C, the scale is composed of a Cr2O3/(Mn,Cr)3O4 duplex scale, covered in the case of H2-H2O mixture by a thin scale made of Mn2TiO4 spinel. In air, the growth mechanism is found to be cationic, in agreement with literature. The LaCrO3 coating does not modify the direction of scale growth but lowers the growth kinetics during the first hundreds hours. Moreover, with the coating, the scale adherence is favored and the conductivity appears to be slightly higher. In the H2-H2O mixture, the growth mechanism is found to be anionic. The LaCrO3 coating diminishes the oxidation kinetics. Although the scale thickness is about the same in both media, the ASR parameter is one order of magnitude higher in H2/H2O than in air. Specific contact resistance tests show that the higher resistivity in the H2/H2O mixture is closely linked to the presence of protons in the scale. Moreover, tracer experiments show that these protons come from the water molecule dissociation, and not from the H2 molecule. In H2/H2O, the LaCrO3 coating does not increase the conductivity