Characterization of Corrosion Resistant Materials in Low and High Temperature HF Environments

Abstract A variety of hydrogen fluoride containing gases, hydrofluoric acid condensates and hydrofluoric acid aqueous solutions are encountered in petrochemical and chemical process applications. A special laboratory test system has been designed to develop stress corrosion cracking and general corrosion data for several nickel alloys in hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid environments at temperatures from 50°C to 450°C. Test results from this system and aqueous corrosion test results show Ni-Cu alloy 400 (UNS N04400) to be one of the best materials for high temperature applications and better than the ten other nickel base alloys examined in this study for resistance to general corrosion in aqueous hydrofluoric acid.