Corrosion behavior of porous chromium carbide in supercritical water

The corrosion behavior of highly porous chromium carbide (Cr3C2) prepared by a reactive sintering process was characterized at temperatures ranging from 375°C to 625°C in a supercritical water environment with a pressure of 25–30MPa. The test results show that porous chromium carbide is stable in SCW environments at temperatures under 425°C, above which disintegration occurred. The porous carbide was also tested under hydrothermal conditions of pressures between 12MPa and 50MPa at constant temperatures of 400°C and 415°C, respectively. The pressure showed little effect on the stability of chromium carbide in the tests at those temperatures. The mechanism of disintegration of chromium carbide in SCW environments is discussed.