Ferritic stainless steels have nowadays been used as materials for interconnectors in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) at intermediate temperatures (800°C). Their degradation in contact with dry synthetic biogas used instead of other fuel gas has already been studied. In such biogas atmosphere, humidity may play an important role. The objective of this study is therefore to understand the effect of H2O on the corrosion kinetics of the ferritic stainless steels type AISI441 (18CrTiNb) under synthetic biogas (70%CH4and 30%CO2) mixed with 3%H2O. The thermodynamic analysis by FactSage was used to determine the partial pressure of oxygen and the activity of carbon in the humid biogas. The results showed that the partial pressure of oxygen is in the range 10–24.8to 10–21.2bar for temperatures between 600-800°C and that the formation of solid carbon can occur in these conditions. This was not different compared with the conditions in dry biogas. These conditions lead to the stability of some important oxides such as Cr2O3and Cr-Mn spinel and to carbon deposition and/or carbide formation. The surface morphology of 441 subjected to humid biogas showed oxide scale composed mainly of Cr2O3topped with Cr-Mn spinel. Some carbide such as Cr7C3was found in chromia scale. Kinetic experiments under both dry and humid biogas at temperatures between 600 and 800°C showed linear weight changes. Arrhenius law was followed and the rate-determining steps were identified as parallel oxidation and carburization limited by oxide-gas interface reactions.
