Corrosion and hydrogen absorption of commercially pure zirconium in acid fluoride solutions

The corrosion and hydrogen absorption of commercially pure zirconium have been investigated in acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) solutions. Upon immersion in 2.0% APF solution of pH 5.0 at 25°C, a granular corrosion product (Na₃ZrF₇) deposits over the entire side surface of the specimen, thereby inhibiting further corrosion. In 0.2% APF solution, marked corrosion is observed from the early stage of immersion; no deposition of the corrosion product is observed by scanning electron microscopy. A substantial amount of hydrogen absorption is confirmed in both APF solutions by hydrogen thermal desorption analysis. The amount of absorbed hydrogen of the specimen immersed in the 2.0% APF solution is smaller than that in the 0.2% APF solution in the early stage of immersion. The hydrogen absorption behavior is not always consistent with the corrosion behavior. Hydrogen thermal desorption occurs in the temperature range of 300-700°C for the specimen without the corrosion product. Under the same immersion conditions, the amount of absorbed hydrogen in commercially pure zirconium is smaller than that in commercially pure titanium as reported previously. The present results suggest that commercially pure zirconium, compared with commercially pure titanium, is highly resistant to hydrogen absorption, although corrosion occurs in fluoride solutions.