High-temperature corrosion of superalloys

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Abstract
The performance of gas turbines has been improved by the development of alloys with progressively increasing high-temperature capabilities. While both strength and corrosion resistance are important, the strength requirements have a higher priority, and alloy developments which led to higher strengths also had the effect of reducing the corrosion resistance, particularly with nickel-base alloys. The most important form of corrosion is the accelerated oxidation which takes place when the air or fuel is contaminated with certain impurities, of which alkali metal salts are the most important. This type of attack is generally known as ‘hot corrosion’. Two different forms of hot corrosion have been distinguished. Type I, which is present over a temperature range of about 800–950°C, and type II, which is present over the range 700–800°C. Both processes involve an incubation period, an initiation step, and a propagation stage. Most attention has been given to the propagation stage but, from a technical point of view, the initiation step is the most important process. Mechanisms suggested include the salt fluxing model, the electrochemical model, and the sulphidation–oxidation model. Both the practical and theoretical aspects of the problem will be reviewed.

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