Corrosion of Titanium Alloys in High Temperature Seawater

Materials of choice for offshore structures and the marine industry have been increasingly favoring materials that offer high strength-to-weight ratios. One of the most promising families of light-weight materials is titanium alloys, but these do have two potential Achilles' heels: (i) the passive film may not form or may be unstable in low oxygen environments, leading to rapid corrosion; and (ii) titanium is a strong hydride former, making it vulnerable to hydrogen embrittlement (cracking) at high temperatures in low oxygen environments. Unfortunately, such environments exist at deep sea well-heads; temperatures can exceed $120^{\circ}C$, and oxygen levels can drop below 1 ppm. The present study demonstrates the results of investigations into the corrosion behavior of a range of titanium alloys, including newly developed alloys containing rare earth additions for refined microstructure and added strength, in artificial seawater over the temperature range of $25^{\circ}C$ to $200^{\circ}C$. Tests include potentiodynamic polarization, crevice corrosion, and U-bend stress corrosion cracking.