About the Synergetic Influence of Manganese and Silicon on the Oxidation Rate of Chromia Forming Nickel-Based Model Alloys at 1050 °C

Abstract

The oxidation behavior of Si- and/or Mn-Ni-25Cr alloys at 1050 °C in air was studied to provide new insights on the effect of minor additions on chromia-scale growth. Four nickel alloys with and without Si or Mn were prepared. Thermogravimetry and post-oxidation characterizations evidenced that manganese increased, whereas silicon addition decreased chromia growth rate. On the contrary, addition of both Si and Mn to the Ni-25Cr alloy led to an unchanged oxidation rate in comparison with the unalloyed Ni-25Cr material. Oxide scales were characterized by photoelectrochemistry (PEC) to evaluate the role of the additions on the point defects nature. The n and p contributions of chromia forming in air were not changed by Si. On the opposite, Mn modified the scale conducting properties since only n contributions were observed for both chromia and Mn1+xCr2−xO4 spinel oxide with Mn-containing samples. In the latter case, the PEC contribution at ~ 3.2–3.4 eV was allocated to the signature of the Mn1+xCr2−xO4 spinel oxide. These data suggested that manganese enhances and silicon limits grain boundary diffusion in chromia scale as reactive element does.