Corrosion news from Russia

CORROSION BY POTASSIUM Production by alkaline method. Apparatus usually employed for this purpose lasts no more than about 10 h because of excessive corrosion. Study of corrosive media has shown that caustic potash, melted, say, at about 500°C, absorbs oxygen from the air to form peroxides, with active oxygen up to 0.5 weight %. Therefore, KOH + K and K2O2 may be present. Few references in the literature could be found to the corrosive action of these in various combination.