Oxidation Behavior and Cracking Susceptibility of Ni-Cr Alloys in Dry Steam and Inert Gas under Extremely-Low Oxygen Partial Pressure

Abstract

In order to investigate oxidation behavior and cracking susceptibility of the Ni-Cr alloys under extremely-low oxygen partial pressure, three Ni-Cr alloys (Ni-14Cr, Ni-22Cr and Ni-30Cr) were used as plate specimen and reverse U-bend specimen for oxidation experiments for 750 hours at 400 °C in two kinds of gas system (inert gas and dry steam) under various oxygen potential (Ni stable, Ni/NiO equilibrium and NiO stable). The Ni-Cr alloys cracked along grain boundary both in inert gas system (with trace O2, without H2O) and in hydrogenated steam. In the inert gas system, the cracking susceptibility was confirmed in near NiO stable condition. On the other hand, no crack was found in near Ni stable condition. In the dry steam system, the cracking susceptibility was confirmed in near Ni/NiO equilibrium. In contrast, no crack was found in near NiO stable condition. The cracking susceptibility was confirmed in near Ni/NiO equilibrium in hydrogenated steam as contrasted with higher oxygen potential in inert gas system. This result shows that potential range for the cracking susceptibility seemed to be different between the two kinds of gas system. Cracking severity was highest for Ni-14Cr and lowest for Ni-30Cr both in inert gas and steam; however, even Ni-30Cr was not immune to intergranular cracking in steam near Ni/NiO equilibrium.