Role of Nb in promoting protective scale formation on Al2O3-forming austenitic alloys

Abstract

The high-temperature oxidation behavior of Fe–25Ni–17Cr–7.7Al–0.03Zr alloys with and without 0.5 or 1 at% Nb addition was investigated at 800 °C in air. Nb addition was found to promote the formation of an external Al2O3 scale. The Nb-free alloy formed a scale consisting of a thick Fe/Ni-rich oxide layer and a Cr2O3 layer, beneath which Al was internally oxidized. However, a continuous protective Al2O3 scale was developed below a thin Cr2O3 layer on the 1 Nb alloy, which significantly decreased the oxidation rate. Examination of the initial oxidation process during heating to 800 °C revealed that all of the alloys formed a Cr2O3 layer and an amorphous Al2O3 layer upon heating to 650 °C, but these layers became discontinuous upon further heating to 800 °C for the Nb-free alloy. The beneficial role of Nb was ascribed to its ability to maintain the initially formed thin Cr2O3 layer by the formation of a Nb-containing Cr-rich oxide layer at the interface between the Cr2O3 and amorphous Al2O3 layers. This Nb-containing Cr-rich layer prevented the breakdown of the transient amorphous Al2O3 layer until its transition to a protective crystalline Al2O3 scale.