Corrosion characteristics of Fe, Ni and Ti based alloys near the critical point of water and during supercritical water gasification and oxidation of municipal sludge

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) and oxidation (SCWO) were promising technologies for treating municipal sludge; however, corrosion hindered their development. To obtain the candidate material for preheaters, corrosion characteristics of 316, 316 L, Incoloy 800, 825, and TA-10 were investigated at 350 °C and 400 °C. For SCWG and SCWO reactors, corrosion behaviors of 316, Incoloy 800, 825, Inconel 600, 625, and Hastelloy C276 were explored at 450 °C and 520 °C, with and without oxidants. Near the critical point of water, corrosion rates of all materials were below 0.4 mm·a⁻¹, with 316 L being the candidate material. According to the pH variation, materials underwent activation (350 °C) and passivation (400 °C) pathways. During SCWG and SCWO, Incoloy 825 and Inconel 625 were prioritized at 450 ℃ and 520 ℃, exhibiting corrosion rates below 0.40 mm·a⁻¹ and 0.50 mm·a⁻¹, respectively. Chemical corrosion dominated and double-layer oxide films (Fe₃O₄-FeCr₂O₄ and NiO-Cr₂O₃) formed.