Method of enhancing corrosion resistance of oxidizable materials and components made therefrom

1. A method of enhancing the corrosion resistance of an oxidizable material to an oxidizing fluid that is corrosive to the oxidizable material, the method comprising:

forming a buffered mixture of carbon dioxide as the oxidizing fluid and carbon monoxide as a reducing species that reduces the thermodynamic driving for reaction of the oxidizing fluid with the oxidizable material, the buffered mixture containing a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of at least 0.0000153;

depositing a surface layer containing copper on a surface of the oxidizable material; and

with the buffered mixture at a temperature of at least 750° C. and a pressure at or above 7.4 MPa to result in the buffered mixture being a buffered supercritical fluid, contacting the surface layer with the buffered supercritical fluid, the carbon monoxide of the reducing species rendering the copper of the surface layer inert to the buffered supercritical fluid and reducing the thermodynamic driving force for oxidative corrosion of the oxidizable material by the carbon dioxide of the oxidizing fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffered supercritical fluid contains a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of 0.000040 to 0.000060.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizable material comprises one of a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic, a ceramic alloy, a metal composite, a ceramic composite or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizable material further comprises at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of chromium, cobalt, hafnium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium.

5. A method of using a corrosion-resistant component having an oxidizable material and exposing the corrosion-resistant component to an oxidizing fluid that is corrosive to the oxidizable material, the method comprising:

forming a buffered mixture of carbon dioxide as the oxidizing fluid and carbon monoxide as a reducing species that reduces the thermodynamic driving for reaction of the oxidizing fluid with the oxidizable material, the buffered mixture containing a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of at least 0.0000153;

depositing a surface layer containing copper on a surface of the oxidizable material; and

with the buffered mixture at a temperature of at least 750° C. and a pressure at or above 7.4 MPa to result in the buffered mixture being a buffered supercritical fluid, contacting the surface layer with the buffered supercritical fluid, the carbon monoxide of the reducing species rendering the copper of the surface layer inert to the buffered supercritical fluid and reducing the thermodynamic driving force for oxidative corrosion of the oxidizable material by the carbon dioxide of the oxidizing fluid.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the buffered supercritical fluid contains a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of 0.000040 to 0.000060.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the oxidizable material comprises one of a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic, a ceramic alloy, a metal composite, a ceramic composite or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the oxidizable material further comprises at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of chromium, cobalt, hafnium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the component is chosen from the group consisting of piping, valves, heat exchangers, pump components, bearings, heat sinks, energy conversion devices, and engine components.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the corrosion-resistant component is a component of a high temperature system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system is one of an electrical power production system, a waste heat recovery system, a transportation system, and a propulsion system.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxidizable material is one of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal composite, or any combination thereof, and the oxidizable material further comprises at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of chromium, cobalt, hafnium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the surface layer has a thickness between one hundred microns and 1 millimeter.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface layer consists of copper.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface layer coats a passageway in a power system.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface layer coats a passageway in a heat exchanger.

17. A method of operating a power system with a passageway formed by an oxidizable material with a surface layer that contains a copper material, the method comprising:

heating a working fluid of the power system to a temperature of at least 750° C. and a pressure at or above 7.4 MPa to result in the working fluid being a buffered supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide as an oxidizing fluid and carbon monoxide as a reducing species at a ratio of at least 0.0000153 of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity; and

rendering the copper material of the surface layer inert to the buffered supercritical fluid by passing the buffered supercritical fluid through the passageway so that the carbon monoxide therein renders the copper material inert to the carbon dioxide therein.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the surface layer has a thickness between one hundred microns and 1 millimeter.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising maintaining a carbon monoxide content in the buffered supercritical fluid at a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of 0.000040 to 0.000060.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the oxidizable material is one of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal composite, or any combination thereof, and the oxidizable material further comprises at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of chromium, cobalt, hafnium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium.

21. A method of rendering inert a surface layer on an oxidizable material in a heat exchanger or a power system, the method comprising:

forming a buffered mixture of carbon dioxide as an oxidizing fluid and carbon monoxide as a reducing species that reduces the thermodynamic driving for reaction of the oxidizing fluid with the oxidizable material, the buffered mixture containing a ratio of the carbon monoxide fugacity to the carbon dioxide fugacity of at least 0.0000153;

depositing the surface layer containing copper on a surface of the oxidizable material; and

with the buffered mixture at a temperature of at least 750° C. and a pressure at or above 7.4 MPa to result in the buffered mixture being a buffered supercritical fluid, contacting the surface layer with the buffered supercritical fluid, the carbon monoxide of the reducing species rendering the copper of the surface layer inert to the buffered supercritical fluid and reducing the thermodynamic driving force for oxidative corrosion of the oxidizable material by the carbon dioxide of the oxidizing fluid.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the surface layer coats a passageway in the heat exchanger or power system.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the surface layer consists of copper.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the oxidizable material is one of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal composite, or any combination thereof, and the oxidizable material further comprises at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of chromium, cobalt, hafnium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium.