Reduction of chromium volatilisation from stainless steel interconnector of solid oxide electrochemical devices by controlled preoxidation

- Chromium volatilisation from AISI 441 at 800 °C in O2 + 5%H2O was measured and was shown to depend on gas velocity.
- Preoxidation of samples before volatilisation measurements could reduce volatilisation rate by a factor 10.
- Preoxidation at 250 °C formed an iron oxide scale, making a physical barrier between the steel and the gas phase.
- For preoxidation at 850 °C in CO2/CO, the reduction of the volatilisation rate was the result of the modification of chromia electronic properties from p to n.