Oxidation of high-chromium Ni-Cr alloys

Abstract

The oxidation of binary Ni-Cr alloys containing 44 and 50 wt. % Cr has been studied over a range of oxygen partial pressures at temperatures between 800 and 1100°C. The effects of cold work, surface preparation, and distribution of the Cr-rich second phase have been studied. The oxidation behavior is complex and cannot be described by a single model. The oxide grows by short-circuit diffusion as well as bulk transport through Cr 2 O 3 scales. The scale-growth mechanism includes extensive metal-oxide separation requiring Cr vapor transport to the scale, compressive stresses within the oxide which result in scale bulging and cracking, and the formation of a second oxide layer which results in voids being incorporated into the scale. Any factor which reduces the oxide grain size, such as cold work, finer distribution of the Cr-rich α phase or reduced oxygen pressure, results in an increased oxidation rate of binary alloys because of an increased number of grain-boundary short-circuit diffusion paths.