Size scale effect in cavitation erosion

An overview and data analyses pertaining to cavitation erosion size scale effects are presented. The exponents n in the power law relationship are found to vary from 1.7 to 4.9 for venturi and rotating disk devices supporting the values reported in the literature. Suggestions for future studies were made to arrive at further true scale effects

Influence of temperature and the role of chromium on the kinetics of sulfidation of 310 stainless steel

The sulfidation of 310 stainless steel was studied over the temperature range from 910 K to 1285 K. By adjusting the ratio of hydrogen sulfide, variations in sulfur potential were obtained. The effect of temperature on sulfidation was determined at three different sulfur potentials: 39/sqNm, 0.014/sqNm, and 0.00015/sqNm. All sulfide scales contained one or two surface layers in addition to a subscale. The second outer layer (OL-II), furthest from the alloy, contained primarily Fe-Ni-S. The first outer layer (OL-I), nearest the subscale, contained FE-Cr-S. The subscale consisted of sulfide inclusions in the metal matrix. At a given temperature and sulfur potential, the weight gain data obeyed the parabolic rate law after an initial transient period. The parabolic rate constants obtained at the sulfur potential of 39/sqNm did not show a break when the logarithm of the rate constant was plotted as a function of the inverse of absolute temperature. Sulfidation carried out at sulfur potentials below 0.02/sqNm, however, did show a break at 1145 K, which is termed as the transition temperature. This break was found to be associated with the changes which had occurred in the Fe:Cr ratio of OL-I. Below the transition temperature the activation energy was found to be approximately 125 kj/mole. Above the transition temperature the rate of sulfidation decreased with temperature but dependent on the Fe:Cr ratio in the iron-chromium-sulfide layers of the OL-I. A reaction mechanism consistent with the experimental results has been proposed

Sulfidation of 310 stainless steel at sulfur potentials encountered in coal conversion systems

The sulfidation of SAE 310 stainless steel was carried out in gas mixtures of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide over a range of sulfur potentials anticipated in advanced coal gasification processes. The kinetics, composition, and morphology of sulfide scale formation were studied at a fixed temperature of 1,065 K over a range of sulfur potentials from .00015 Nm to the -2nd power to 900 Nm to the -2nd power. At all sulfur potentials investigated, the sulfide scales were found to be multilayered. The relative thickness of the individual layers as well as the composition was found to depend on the sulfur potential. The reaction was found to obey the parabolic rate law after an initial transient period. Considerably longer transient periods were found to be due to unsteady state conditions resulting from compositional variations in the spinel layer. The sulfur pressure dependence on the parabolic rate constant was found to best fit the equation K sub p equals const. (P sub S2) to the 1/nth power, where n equals 3.7. The growth of the outer layers was found to be primarily due to the diffusion of metal ions, iron being the predominant species. The inner layer growth was due to the dissociation of the primary product at the alloy scale interface and depended on the activity of chromium

Characterization of erosion of metallic materials under cavitation attack in a mineral oil

Cavitation erosion and erosion rates of eight metallic materials representing three crystal structures were studied. The erosion experiments were conducted with a 20-kHz ultrasonic magnetostrictive oscillator in a viscous mineral oil. The erosion rates of the metals with an fcc matrix were 10 to 100 times higher than that of an hop-matrix titanium alloy. The erosion rates of iron and molybdenum, with bcc matrices, were higher than that of the titanium alloy but lower than those of those of the fcc materials. Studies with scanning electron microscopy indicated that the cavitation pits were initially formed at the grain boundaries and precipitates and that the pits formed at the junction of grain boundaries grew faster than the others. Transcrystalline craters formed by cavitation attack over the surface of grains and roughened the surfaces by multiple slip and twinning. Surface roughness measurements showed that the pits that formed over the grain boundaries deepened faster than pits. Computer analysis revealed that a geometric expression describes the nondimensional erosion curves during the time period 0.5 t (sub 0) t 2.5 t (sub 0), where t (sub 0) is the incubation period. The fcc metals had very short incubation periods; the titanium alloy had the longest incubation period

The mechanism of erosion of metallic materials under cavitation attack

The mean depth of penetration rates (MDPRs) of eight polycrystalline metallic materials, Al 6061-T6, Cu, brass, phosphor bronze, Ni, Fe, Mo, and Ti-5Al-2.5Sn exposed to cavitation attack in a viscous mineral oil with a 20 kHz ultrasonic oscillator vibrating at 50 micron amplitude are reported. The titanium alloy followed by molybdenum have large incubation periods and small MDPRs. The incubation periods correlate linearly with the inverse of hardness and the average MDPRs correlate linearly with the inverse of tensile strength of materials. The linear relationships yield better statistical parameters than geometric and exponential relationships. The surface roughness and the ratio of pit depth to pit width (h/a) increase with the duration of cavitation attack. The ratio h/a varies from 0.1 to 0.8 for different materials. Recent investigations (20) using scanning electron microscopy to study deformation and pit formation features are briefly reviewed. Investigations with single crystals indicate that the geometry of pits and erosion are dependent on their orientation

Characterization of erosion of metallic materials under cavitation attack in a mineral oil

Cavitation erosion and erosion rates of eight metallic materials representing three crystal structures were studied using a 20-kHz ultrasonic magnetostrictive oscillator in viscous mineral oil. The erosion rates of the metals with an fcc matrix were 10 to 100 times higher than that of an hcp-matrix titanium alloy. The erosion rates of iron and molybdenum, with bcc matrices, were higher than that of the titanium alloy but lower than those of the fcc metals. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the cavitation pits are initially formed at the grain boundaries and precipitates and that the pits that formed at the triple points grew faster than the others. Transcrystalline craters formed by cavitation attack over the surface of grains and roughened the surfaces by multiple slip and twinning. Surface roughness measurements show that the pits that formed over the grain boundaries deepended faster than other pits. Computer analysis revealed that a geometric expression describes the nondimensional erosion curves during the time period 0.5 t(0) t 2.5 t(0), where t(0) is the incubation period. The fcc metals had very short incubation periods; the titanium alloy had the longest incubation period

Cavitation Erosion of Copper, Brass, Aluminum and Titanium Alloys in Mineral Oil

The variations of the mean depth of penetration, the mean depth rate of penetration, MDRP, the pit diameter 2a and depth h due to cavitation attack on Al 6061-T6, Cu, brass of composition Cu-35Zn-3Pb and Ti-5A1-2.5Sn are presented. The experiments are conducted in a mineral oil of viscosity 110 CS using a magnetostrictive oscillator of 20 kHz frequency. Based on MDRP on the materials, it is found that Ti-5Al-2.5Sn exhibits cavitation erosion resistance which is two orders of magnitude higher than the other three materials. The values of h/a are the largest for copper and decreased with brass, titanium, and aluminum. Scanning electron microscope studies show that extensive slip and cross slip occurred on the surface prior to pitting and erosion. Twinning is also observed on copper and brass

Cavitation pitting and erosion of aluminum 6061-T6 in mineral oil water

Cavitation erosion studies of aluminum 6061-T6 in mineral oil and in ordinary tap water are presented. The maximum erosion rate (MDPR, or mean depth of penetration rate) in mineral oil was about four times that in water. The MDPR in mineral oil decreased continuously with time, but the MDPR in water remained approximately constant. The cavitation pits in mineral oil were of smaller diameter and depth than the pits in water. Treating the pits as spherical segments, we computed the radius r of the sphere. The logarithm of h/a, where h is the pit depth and 2a is the top width of the pit, was linear when plotted against the logarithm of 2r/h - 1

Some studies on a solid state sulfur probe for coal gasification systems

Measurements on the solid electrolyte cell (Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/CaS + CaF(2) + (Pt)//CaF(2)//(Pt) + CaF(2) + CaS/H(2) + H(2)+Ar) show that the emf of the cell is directly related to the difference in sulfur potentials established at the Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/electrode interfaces. The electrodes convert the sulfur potential gradient across the calcium fluoride electrolyte into an equivalent fluorine potential gradient. Response time of the probe varies from approximately 9 hr at 990 K to 2.5 hr at 1225 K. The conversion of calcium sulfide and/or calcium fluoride into calcium oxide is not a problem anticipated in commercial coal gasification systems. Suggestions are presented for improving the cell for such commercial applications