Abstract
Industrial carbochlorination processes involve the presence of Cl2 and CO gases, creating a highly corrosive environment due to the strong oxidizing nature of Cl2 and the reducing properties of CO. These conditions necessitate the use of refractory materials that can withstand high temperatures, chemical aggression, and mechanical stress. Despite their critical role, studies on the corrosion of refractories in gas environments are relatively scarce. [1]
From a thermodynamic point of view, most common oxide-based refractory materials will be chlorinated in a CO/Cl2 atmosphere.[2] Hence, for application in industrial carbochlorination reactors, the kinetics are crucial for material stability.
In this work, phase-pure refractory materials, including binary and ternary phases, are exposed to a mixture of Cl2 and CO gas at elevated temperatures. By studying the different phases separately, the degradation mechanisms of each component can be isolated, and this knowledge is applied to aid selection of refractory lining materials for industrial carbochlorination processes. Characteristic material properties are measured both before and after the high temperature gas exposure. Characterization methods include density measurements, hardness tests, microstructure investigation using SEM and µ-CT, phase identification using XRD, and chemical composition by EDS and ICP .
Financial support of the Norwegian Research Council, grant 337007, is acknowledged.