The Corrosive Action of Selenium Towards Various Materials in the Temperature Range 300 to 700°C

There is a paucity of information in the literature on the corrosive action of selenium at temperatures above the melting point of the element (m.p. 217.4°C). Recently Soshnikova and Paikin (1) reported the results of a study on the resistance to liquid selenium of nine stainless steels and three welding alloys in the temperature range 230–600°C. All the steels tested were found to be unsuitable at high temperatures and for the manufacture of high purity selenium. The need for selenium corrosion data in the production and utilization of high purity selenium prompted an investigation of the resistance of a wide variety of materials to corrosion by selenium at elevated temperatures.