NSF Award
9460194
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes new electrochemical measurements in supercritical water environments for material corrosion studies. Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is a unique and promising approach for neutralizing a wide variety of wastes. However, the SCWO reactors are susceptible to corrosion failure leading to contamination of the effluent stream with corrosion products or catastrophic failure of the reactor itself. In order for SCWO reactor technology to be scaled up and commercially implemented, in-situ/real-time corrosion monitors are required. The proposed measurements will yield the basic information necessary for corrosion sensor development for SCWO reactors. The Phase I program will demonstrate the feasibility of an in-situ/real-time corrosion monitor for SCWO reactor by correlating our measurement technique with weight loss measurements. This provides the basis for further development of two sensing methodologies for continuous monitoring of corrosion in SCWO reactors. The corrosion monitoring in real time is essential for SCWO reactors for (a) scale-up, safe, and longer operation, (b) optimization of process parameters for maximum waste stream treatment, (c) elimination of effluent stream contamination with corrosion products, and d) avoidance of catastrophic failures.
