Geothermal fluids harnessed for electricity production are generally corrosive because of their interaction with the underground. To ensure the longevity and sustainability of geothermal Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) powerplants, the choice of heat exchanger material is essential. The performance of heat exchangers is affected by corrosion and scaling due to the geothermal fluids, causing regular cleaning, part replacement, and in the worst cases, extensive repair work. The properties of geothermal fluids vary between geothermal settings and even within geothermal sites. Differences in exposure conditions require different material selection considerations, where factors such as cost, and material efficiency are important to consider. This work studies in-situ geothermal exposure testing of four metals at two geothermal locations, in different geological settings. Four corrosion-resistant materials were exposed for one month at Reykjanes powerplant in Iceland and four months at Chaunoy oil field in France as material candidates for heat exchangers. The tested alloys were analysed for corrosion with macro- and microscopic techniques using optical and electron microscopes, which give an indication of the different frequencies of repairs and replacement. Inconel 625 showed no effects at Reykjanes and cracks at Chaunoy. The others (316L, 254SMO, and titanium grade 2) showed either corrosion or erosion traces at both sites.

Materials can be subjected to severe wear and corrosion due to high temperature, high pressure and mechanical loads when used in components for the production of geothermal power. In an effort to increase the lifetime of these components and thus decrease cost due to maintenance High-Entropy Alloy Coatings (HEACs) were developed with different coating techniques for anti-wear properties. The microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of CoCrFeNiMox (at% x = 20, 27) HEACs deposited by three different technologies—high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), laser cladding (LC) and electro-spark deposition (ESD)—are presented in this study. The relationship between surface morphology and microstructural properties of the as-deposited coatings and their friction and wear behavior is assessed to evaluate their candidacy as coatings for the geothermal environment. The wear rates were lower for the HVOF coatings compared to LC and ESD-produced coatings. Similarly, a higher hardness (445 ± 51 HV) was observed for the HVOF HEACs. The mixed FCC, BCC structure and the extent of σ + µ nano precipitates are considered responsible for the increased hardness and improved tribological performance of the HEACs. The findings from the study are valuable for the development of wear-resistant HEAC for geothermal energy industry applications where high wear is encountered.

The selection of electroless nickel-phosphorus plating (ENP) has been inclined towards their properties and advantages with complex geometry applications. These properties include coating uniformity, low surface roughness, low wettability, high hardness, lubricity, and corrosion- and wear-resistance. Materials used in geothermal environments are exposed to harsh conditions such as high loads, temperature, and corrosive fluids, causing corrosion, scaling, erosion and wear of components. To improve the corrosion- and wear-resistance and anti-scaling properties of materials for geothermal environment, a ENP duplex coating with PTFE nanoparticles was developed and deposited on mild steel within the H2020 EU Geo-Coat project. ENP thin adhesive layer and ENP+PTFE top functional layer form the duplex structure of the coating. The objective of this study was to test the mechanical and tribological properties of the developed ENP-PTFE coatings with varying PTFE content. The microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of the as-deposited coating with increasing PTFE content in the top functional layer in the order: ENP1, ENP2 and ENP3 were evaluated. The results showed maximum wear protection of the substrates at the lowest load; however, increasing load and sliding cycles increased the wear rates, and 79% increased lubrication was recorded for the ENP2 duplex coating. The wear performance of ENP3 greatly improved with a wear resistance of 8.3 × 104 m/mm3 compared to 6.9 × 104 m/mm3 for ENP2 and 2.1 × 104 m/mm3 for ENP1. The results are applicable in developing low friction, hydrophobic or wear-resistive surfaces for geothermal application.

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