Effect and mechanism of Fe³⁺ impurities on the corrosion behavior of SiC-B₄C composites in molten FLiNaK salt

IF 3.3 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-09 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2026.156447

Congcong Zhao , Junhong Jia , Kui Wang , Xiaoyu Jiao , Runze Wei , Jian Wang , Jie Yang , Yaoqiang Tang , Qingqing Zhang , Zongyu Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study systematically investigates the critical influence of Fe³⁺ impurity ions on the corrosion behavior of boron carbide (B₄C) -reinforced silicon carbide (SiC) composite ceramics in FLiNaK molten salt. SiC-B₄C composites were fabricated via hot-press sintering, and their corrosion characteristics were compared in both original and Fe³⁺-contaminated environments. The results indicate that in pure molten salt, the addition of B₄C promotes the formation of a dense, graphitized carbon layer on the surface, which significantly enhances corrosion resistance. In contrast, the strong oxidizing power of Fe³⁺ disrupts the formation and stability of this protective layer. This disruption results in a loose, porous surface structure, a substantial increase in corrosion layer thickness and the creation of pathways for the corrosive melt penetration. Thermodynamic analysis further confirms that FeF₃, as a potent oxidizing agent, preferentially reacts with B₄C. Moreover, Fe³⁺ is regenerated through a cyclic disproportionation reaction (3Fe²⁺→2Fe³⁺+Fe), which intensifies the corrosion process. This work provides critical theoretical support for material selection and service-life assessment of structural components in molten salt reactors under practical operating conditions.

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Fe +杂质对SiC-B₄C复合材料在熔融FLiNaK盐中的腐蚀行为的影响及机理

本研究系统地研究了Fe +杂质离子对碳化硼（B4C）增强碳化硅（SiC）复合陶瓷在FLiNaK熔盐中的腐蚀行为的关键影响。采用热压烧结法制备了SiC-B₄C复合材料，并比较了其在原始环境和Fe³+污染环境中的腐蚀特性。结果表明，在纯熔盐中，B₄C的加入促进了表面致密石墨化碳层的形成，显著提高了耐蚀性。相比之下，Fe³⁺的强氧化能力破坏了这一保护层的形成和稳定性。这种破坏导致松散的多孔表面结构，腐蚀层厚度大幅增加，并为腐蚀性熔体渗透创造了途径。热力学分析进一步证实，FeF₃作为强氧化剂，优先与B₄C反应。此外，Fe³⁺通过循环歧化反应（3Fe²⁺→2Fe³⁺+Fe）再生，强化了腐蚀过程。该工作为熔盐堆结构部件在实际工况下的材料选择和寿命评估提供了重要的理论支持。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.