Fuel Composition Effects on Burner Rig Corrosion of a Silicon Carbide Exposed at 1000°C and 1300°C

The performance of a silicon carbide was investigated in simulated gas turbine environments. Combustion gases were generated in a low-velocity burner rig by atomizing one of two different sulfur-containing fuels and artificial ocean water. The material's corrosion behavior was investigated at temperatures, 1000 and 1300 C, where salt deposition was not expected so that the corrosion process should be controlled by the activity of NaOH a(NaOH). At 1000 C the corrosion behavior was dependent on p(SO3) indicating that sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) is the major gaseous sodium-bearing species. The difference in sulfur content of the fuel had little impact on corrosion at 1300 C, suggesting the importance of NaOH in the degradation process. (Author)