Corrosion, Wear, and Galling Tests of IC218, a Chromium-Bearing Alloy of Ni3Al

ABSTRACTIC218 contains about 8.4% aluminum and about 7.8% chromium by weight and forms a tenacious alumina scale. In this work the ability of the scale to protect against aqueous corrosion and abrasive and adhesive wear was evaluated. Wrought IC218 was heat treated at 1150°C, yielding a microstructure of ordered FCC islands in a disordered FCC matrix. This material was more resistant to corrosion than common stainless steels in 96% or 98% sulfuric acid and in 5% hydrochloric acid. It was approximately equivalent to stainless steels in 10% sulfuric acid, 50% acetic acid, 50% sodium hydroxide, 5% sodium chloride, and in a sodium chloride + ferric sulfate + hydrochloric acid mixture used to test for pitting resistance. The IC218 performed poorly in 45% sulfuric acid, 20% or 65% nitric acid, 20% phosphoric acid, and in electrolytic 10% oxalic acid. It did not exhibit sensitivity to intergranular corrosion. It resisted stress corrosion cracking at a stress level equal to its yield strength, 645 MPa, in 45% magnesium chloride and in NACE TM0177, a test that simulates an oil well environment. IC218 wore more quickly than austenitic stainless steels do in a dry-sand-rubber-wheel test, but resisted galling as well as or better than most of them do.