Measuring Cr volatility from ferritic stainless steels: Novel and conventional methods compared

Paper in proceeding, 2012

Reactive evaporation of Cr-species from ferritic stainless steels is a technical challenge for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems and other devices operating in high-temperature (>600°C) oxidizing environments. One traditional method for quantitatively measuring Cr volatility is by using a transpiration system, in which oxidizing gases are flown by Cr-containing materials and the exhaust is condensed and subsequently analyzed using ICP-MS. While this method is well established and accurate, it also has limited sensitivity and challenges associated with sample collection. Novel methods have recently been developed to more quickly and accurately quantify lower levels of Cr volatility. These include the denuder technique, which employs a water-soluble reactive collection and optical analysis; a cold quartz wool collection method with ICP-MS; and, a cold Si-wafer collection with ionbeam analysis. Each method has advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, operation, sensitivity and accuracy. In this poster, Cr volatility measurement techniques will be presented and compared in the context of facilitating new and ongoing research efforts.