Aerothermochemistry of Metal Erosion by Hot Reactive Gases

Abstract

Analytical studies were conducted to investigate the mechanisms of metal erosion produced by short exposures (< 2 ms) to flowing high pressure (∼ 350 MPa), high temperature (∼ 3000 K) reactive gases. Previous experimental studies established that the intense heating during the short exposure produced melting and, when reactive gases were used, oxidation of the surface and enhanced erosion. The reactions were modeled as diffusion-limited, heterogeneous surface reactions which achieved equilibrium at the gas/metal interface. Calculated results for the sequential events of initial heating, surface reactions, and melting explained and correlated the experimental trends for Fe, Al, Ti, and Mo. Rapidly increasing erosion rates with increasing O2 concentration are the result of the surface reactions between the metal and O2. As O2 concentration increases, the heating produced by the surface reaction exceeds the forced convective heating which, in turn, greatly enhances the melting rate.