The effect of chlorine on degradation mechanisms of thermal sprayed coatings

The significance of biofuels and the other chlorine-containing fuels in energy production is in strong increase. Serious erosion-corrosion problems in boilers combusting fuels with high chlorine-content have been detected frequently. A series of erosion-corrosion and corrosion tests were performed on thermal sprayed coatings and coating precursors in chlorinecontaining environments in order to evaluate possibilities to utilize thermal sprayed coatings for erosion-corrosion protection in boilers combusting chlorine-containing fuels. A series of hot erosion and erosion-corrosion tests were performed on thermal sprayed coatings at elevated temperatures with and without chlorine. Carbide-containing HVOF coatings performed well in hot erosion tests, but they were completely destroyed in the presence of chlorine due to rapid oxidation of carbides. Metallic HVOF coatings with high chromium content performed well in both conditions. Ironbased arc-sprayed coatings with unhomogeneous microstructure suffered more hot erosion and erosioncorrosion damages than metallic HVOF coatings. The E-C (erosion-corrosion) resistance of carbide-containing coatings in the presence of chlorides was worse than expected. A series of oxidation tests were performed on various carbides in order to elucidate the effect of chlorine on high temperature oxidation behavior of carbides. TGA and isothermal oxidation tests proved that gaseous chlorine-containing species and also solid chlorides have a detrimental effect on oxidation resistance of tested carbides.