Corrosion behavior of pure metals (Ni and Ti) and alloys (316H SS and GH3535) in liquid GaInSn

In this study, the interactions between a Ga-based liquid metal, GaInSn, and several metal materials, including pure metals (Ni and Ti) and alloys (316H stainless steel (SS) and GH3535), at 650 °C were investigated. The aim was to evaluate the corrosion performance and select a suitable candidate material for use as a molten salt manometer diaphragm in thermal energy storage systems. The results indicated that the alloys (316H SS and GH3535) exhibited less corrosion than pure metals (Ni and Ti) in liquid GaInSn. Ga-rich binary intermetallic compounds were found to form on the surfaces of all the tested metal materials exposed to liquid GaInSn, as a result of the decomposition of liquid GaInSn and its reaction with the constituent elements of the metal materials. The corrosion mechanism for all the tested materials exposed to liquid GaInSn was also investigated and proposed, which may aid in selecting the optimal candidate material when liquid GaInSn is used as the pressure-sensing medium.