Date Thesis Awarded
5-2017
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Physics
Advisor
Willam Cooke
Committee Members
Mainak Patel
Gina Hoatson
Abstract
Solar central receiver power plants are an up-and-coming clean energy option which make use of concentrated solar power. In order to function, these systems must be able to store molten “solar salt” (40% potassium nitrate, 60% sodium nitrate), which has proven to be highly corrosive to stainless steel. Slowing the corrosion rate of stainless steel when exposed to molten salt would be a significant step in the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of solar central receiver power plants, but in order to test the effectiveness of various treatments, we first need a method of characterizing the thickness of the corrosion layer. We have developed a means of determining the thickness of the corrosion layer by examining the oxygen and iron content at varying depths of a stainless steel sample exposed to molten salt using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy at varying accelerating voltages, enabling a non-invasive, non-destructive technique for this necessary characterization.
Recommended Citation
Hensler, Calvin E., "Characterizing the Growth Rate of a Corrosion Layer on Stainless Steel in a Molten Salt Environment" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1053.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1053
