Hot corrosion behavior of Cr-modified NiAl coatings on 310 stainless steel produced by a gas tungsten arc cladding process

Abstract

The microstructure and hot corrosion behavior of Ni/Al–Cr composite claddings produced by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) on a 310 stainless steel substrate were studied. The phase analyses and the microstructure of the cladding layers were evaluated using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of Cr addition (0, 5, 10 at% Cr) on the microstructure and hot corrosion behavior of the NiAl coatings was assessed. The cyclic hot corrosion behavior of the base metal and different claddings was investigated at 900°C and in static air, with a 2–3 mg/cm2 Na2SO4–10%NaCl (wt%). It was found that a dendritic microstructure was formed on the clad surfaces. The results of the XRD analyses indicated that a NiAl phase was synthesized in situ during GTAW cladding and the presence of Cr reduced the intensity of diffraction peaks of NiAl. Hot corrosion experiments also revealed that the addition of Cr had a crucial influence on the hot corrosion behavior of NiAl coatings. It was found that the larger the amount of Cr, the superior the resistance of the coatings to hot corrosion. This improvement was attributed to the formation of Al2O3 as a protective oxide layer, as evidenced by XRD patterns. However, the iron containing phases produced as a result of interactions with the substrate were found to be a detrimental factor influencing the corrosion properties of different cladded layers.