Kinetic features of the component interaction in the V[O]–Li[Ca] system

The interaction between vanadium alloys (V–20Ti and V–70Ti–6Cr–0.1Y) and Ca-containing liquid lithium at 700 °C up to 1500 h of exposure is analyzed using Auger spectroscopy. The kinetics of liquid metal penetration into the solid metal and a structural irregularity of the corrosion front progression are studied. A latent period is observed when lithium does not penetrate into the V–20Ti alloy. A thin protective CaO layer is formed on the alloy surface over that period, and dispersed particles of TixOy dissolve in a suboxide zone. As the latent period has passed, the protective layer disintegrates, and lithium penetrates into the alloy up to a depth of 150–200 μm in transcrystalline manner and then into deeper layers along the grain boundaries. An yttrium modification of the V–Ti matrix suppresses the Li penetration into the alloy.