Corrosion of Advanced Refractory Alloys in Lithium

Lithium affords a premising coolant for advanced nuclear-reactor systems under consideration as auxiliary space-power sources. The extreme service temperatures required for efficient heat transfer in these systems, however, demand containment materials with exceptional elevated-temperature mechanical properties. These temperature demands are ideally met in refractory alloys of either niobium, tantalum, or molybdenum, which are among the strongest engineering materials above 1000°C and exhibit a high degree of corrosion resistance in lithium.
To aid in the selection of effective containment materials, corrosion studies at ORNL have included both static tests and thermal-convection loops for evaluation of high-temperature compatibility of lithium and refractory alloys.