Hot corrosion: a modification of reactants causing degradation

It has been conjectured that if sulfur in the fuel is removed, engine materials will cease to experience attack from hot corrosion since the fuel sulfur has been viewed as the primary source that has caused hot corrosion and sulfidation. Hot corrosion has been defined as an accelerated degradation process that is generally considered to involve deposition of corrosive species (e.g. sulfates) from the surrounding environment (e.g. combustion gas) to the surface of hot components, followed by subsequent destruction of the protective oxide scale. Most papers in the literature since the 1970s consider sodium sulfate as the single salt causing hot corrosion. There has been a push to remove fuel sulfur content to less than 15 ppm. However, sulfur species may still enter the combustion chamber via air intake or with seawater entrained in the air through the air intake of the ship. Seawater contains, in addition to sodium sulfate, magnesium, calcium, and potassium salts. Additionally, sulfate speciation and the content of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) varies considerably around the world and in some places, such as China and India, high PM seems to cause an increased risk of deposit-induced hot corrosion due to atmospheric pollutants rather than a combustion process (i.e. sulfur impurity in the fuel). The increasing operating temperatures of turbine engines and activities within regions of the world that have relatively high pollutant (PM, SO2, C, Ca, etc.) levels are working conjointly to cause previously unobserved forms of high-temperature corrosion. This paper will cover some of our revised understanding of hot corrosion and consider other possible contaminants that could further complicate our understanding of hot corrosion.