Isothermal Oxidation Tests Research Articles

Enhanced thermal insulation and corrosion resistance in Ni-Fe cermet through incorporation of high-entropy spinel oxides

The influence of high-entropy spinel oxide (HESO) content on the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and high-temperature corrosion resistance of HESO/NiFe cermets were investigated. The results found that the addition of 10 to 30wt.% HESO enhanced sintering densification and thermal insulation, although it also resulted in reduced electrical conductivity. Isothermal oxidation tests conducted at 900 °C for 10hours revealed that cermets containing 30 to 50wt.% HESO exhibited significantly lower weight gains (0.954 to 1.167mgcm⁻²) and oxidation rate constants (0.1057 to 0.1525mg² cm⁻⁴ h⁻¹). Furthermore, static corrosion tests in AlF₃-KF-Al₂O₃ molten salt demonstrated that HESO effectively mitigated the erosion of the metallic phase by the fluoride molten salt. This study holds significant potential by providing new insights for the design of inert anodes for aluminum electrolysis and exploring the practical applications of high-entropy oxide materials.

High Temperature Oxidation Behavior of ODS Ferritic Stainless Steel Fe-16Cr-4Al-1Ni-0.4Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>

This study investigates the isothermic oxidation behavior of the new ODS alloy Fe-16Cr-4Al-1Ni-0.4Y2O3 (% by weight) at 700, 800 and 900 °C, with exposure times of 5, 20, 50, and 100 h at each temperature. The purpose is to obtain new data on its high-temperature parabolic oxidation constant for assessing oxidation resistance. The methods used include isothermal oxidation testing, XRD, SEM-EDS characterization, and analysis of oxidation kinetics by monitoring changes in oxide thickness using microscopy and SEM-EDS. The oxide products formed on the sample surface are Fe2O3, Fe3O4, AlFe2O4, and (Fe,Cr)2O3. Al and Cr oxides are located under the dominant Fe oxide layer on the surface of the sample. The oxidation test results showed that the most protective sample was obtained at a temperature of 700 °C for 100 h with an oxide thickness of 263.99 μm. The kinetics analysis correlates strongly with the parabolic equation (R2 ≈ 1). The oxidation rate constants at temperatures of 700, 800, and 900 °C were 681.76, 2957.5, and 12300 μm2 h−1, respectively. The activation energy required by the oxidation reaction in this alloy is 136.5 kJ mol−1. This research enhances understanding and potential applications of the Fe-16Cr-4Al-1Ni-0.4Y2O3 alloy in high-temperature environments.

Microstructural Stability and High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior of Al0.25CoCrCuFeNi High Entropy Alloy

Al0.25CoCrCuFeNi is a high-entropy alloy composed of transition metals, specifically designed for high-temperature applications owing to its favorable mechanical properties, high melting point, and excellent high-temperature resistance. This alloy has been identified as a promising material for space exploration, particularly in the fabrication of combustion chambers and rocket nozzles by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency. Ongoing alloy development involves modifying the elemental composition. This study reduced aluminum content in the equiatomic AlCoCrCuFeNi alloy to Al0.25CoCrCuFeNi, followed by isothermal oxidation treatments at 800, 900, and 1000℃. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the microstructure stability and oxidation behavior of the Al0.25CoCrCuFeNi alloy. The alloying elements were melted using a single DC electric arc furnace, followed by homogenization at 1100°C for 10 hours in an inert atmosphere. Subsequently, samples were cut into coupons for isothermal oxidation testing at the desired temperatures for 2, 16, 40, and 168 hours. The oxidized samples were characterized using XRD (x-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) equipped with EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), optical microscopy, and Vickers hardness testing. The as-homogenized alloy consisted of two constituent phases: an FCC (face-centered cubic) phase in the dendritic region and a copper-rich FCC phase in the inter-dendritic region. The oxides formed during the oxidation process included Al2O3, Cr2O3, Fe3O4, CoO, CuO, NiO, and spinel oxides (Co,Ni,Cu)(Al,Cr,Fe)2O4), with distinct formation mechanisms at each temperature.

Oxidation mechanism and kinetics of TiB2 submicron powders in air

AbstractHigh‐activity TiB2 submicron powders were synthesized via microwave‐assisted carbothermal reduction, and their oxidation behavior at 550°C–1000°C for 0.5–1.5 h in air atmosphere was carried out by the isothermal oxidation test. The phase composition and microstructure evolution of the oxidation products were performed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was established that TiB2 submicron powders had been significantly oxidized at 550°C, and the oxidation products were TiO2 and B2O3. Hexagonal plate‐like TiB2 grains had been completely disappeared, and fragmented into uniform nano‐scale spherical TiO2 particles after being oxidized at 1000°C for 1 h, accompanied by the violent evaporation of B2O3 products at temperatures above 1000°C. In addition, the corresponding oxidation kinetics was investigated by using a non‐isothermal thermogravimetric (TG)–differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. The results showed that the Mample power law (n = 1) was the most probable mechanism function, and the oxidation activation energy E of TiB2 submicron powders was 640.58 kJ/mol.

Rare‐earth compositional screening of high‐entropy diborides for improved oxidation resistance

AbstractCompositional screening is an important strategy to improve the oxidation resistance of high‐entropy diborides (HEB2), yet the related studies are limited. Here, we report a rare‐earth (RE) element compositional screening strategy to improve the oxidation resistance of HEB2. To be specific, the single‐phase (Hf0.28Zr0.28Ta0.28RE0.16)B2 (HEB2‐RE) samples with 12 different RE elements are fabricated via ultrafast ultrahigh‐temperature synthesis and spark plasma sintering techniques, and their oxidation resistance is explored by isothermal oxidation tests. The results show that the as‐obtained HEB2‐Sc samples possess the best oxidation resistance among all the as‐fabricated HEB2‐RE samples. Such outstanding oxidation resistance is ascribed to the enhanced viscosity of the generated B2O3 glass originating from the solid solution of (Zr, Me)0.84Sc0.16O2 complex oxides, as confirmed by transmission electron microscope observations and first‐principles calculations.

Effect of Y on Oxidation Behavior of Directionally Solidified Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy

The effect of yttrium (Y) addition on the oxidation behavior of a Ni-based directionally solidified single-crystal superalloy is investigated in this study. Isothermal oxidation tests for samples with different levels of Y addition are conducted at 1100 °C in air. The Y content of the samples is determined by the actual pickup amount obtained from an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry test. It is discovered that the addition of Y increases the oxide resistance by the scale of an adhesive double-layer oxide, which is composed of Al2O3 and spinel Ni(Cr,Al)2O4. With 70 ppm of Y addition, the oxidation mass gain decreases from 12.6 g/m2 for the alloy without Y addition to 5.3 g/m2, and the oxidation rate decreases significantly. In addition, the internal nitride disappears after Y doping because of an increase in oxidation scale adherence and a decrease in oxidation products. In this study, the alloy with 660 ppm Y addition demonstrates the best oxidation resistance.

The improvement in high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 high entropy alloy via industrial chemical vapor aluminizing process

The effects of the protective coating (NiAl coating) on the high temperature isothermal oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 high entropy alloy (HEA) was discussed in this work. A nickel aluminide (NiAl) coating was obtained on the Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA via the industrial chemical vapor aluminizing (CVA) process. Isothermal oxidation tests were applied to NiAl-coated and uncoated samples in ambient laboratory air for durations of up to 200 h at 1050 °C to investigate the effects of the NiAl coating on high-temperature isothermal oxidation resistance of Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA. The results revealed that a protective and slowly growing α-Al2O3 oxide layer formed on the surface of the NiAl-coated HEA samples and remained stable even after 200 h of isothermal oxidation. For uncoated HEA samples, not only Cr2O3 but also non-protective spinel oxides (CoCr2O4 and NiCr2O4) were detected on the surface. Weight gain was observed in the NiAl-coated HEA samples due to the formation of a protective and slowly growing α-Al2O3 oxide layer on the NiAl coating. In contrast, the uncoated HEA samples experienced weight loss even after 6 h of isothermal oxidation, as Cr2O3 lost its stability at 1050 °C and non-protective spinel oxides formed. Therefore, it has been determined that the NiAl coating significantly enhance the isothermal oxidation resistance of the Ni0.25Co0.25Cr0.22Mo0.14Re0.14 HEA. The α-Al2O3 oxide layer has prevented severe oxidation of NiAl-coated samples due to its stability at 1050 °C over 200 h and its slow growth rate.

New lightweight high-entropy alloy coatings: Design concept, experimental characterization, and high-temperature oxidation behaviors

Lightweight high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings by laser cladding (LC), which combines the advantages of high-entropy alloys and laser cladding, are potential materials for high-temperature applications. Al20Cr5Fe50Mn20Ti5 and Al25Cr20Fe20Mn15Ti20 HEAs were designed, and the calculated thermal parameters were close to the Ni-based alloy substrate (Inconel 718). Based on this, Al20Cr5Fe50Mn20Ti5 and Al25Cr20Fe20Mn15Ti20 HEA coatings were fabricated by LC on the substrates. The main phase structures of the two designed HEAs are the BCC + L21 phase, as revealed by the CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD). The high-temperature oxidation properties of the coatings were systematically investigated using isothermal oxidation tests. The oxidation activation energies of both coatings were 154.8 and 133.4 kJ/mol. Combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the clustering mechanism of Al and Ti elements was revealed in the formation of the L21 phase, whereas the high proportion of Ti elements increased the vacancy concentration, which was not conducive to oxidation resistance. Through this study, lightweight HEA coatings with excellent high-temperature performance can be designed and developed in the Al-Cr-Fe-Mn-Ti HEA system.

Comparative analysis of microstructural, compositional, and grazing incidence characteristics of oxide scale on 316L steel: SLM vs. wrought conditions

The aim of this research is to compare the oxidation behavior and characteristics of oxide scale of 316L steel produced by two methods: selective laser melting (SLM) and conventional casting and forming (wrought). To this end, the initial composition and microstructure of samples produced by those methods were first studied. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and long-term isothermal oxidation tests were carried out on the samples and the oxidation kinetics were compared. The oxidized samples were then examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). The results indicated that in the temperature range of 600 °C–900 °C, the oxidation resistance of the SLM alloy is lower than that of the wrought alloy, especially at 800 °C. This is attributed to the combined effect of: i) smaller grain size due to the rapid solidification in the SLM alloy that increases the paths of oxygen penetration, ii) lower presence of chromium and manganese elements in the oxide layer and iii) preferential growth of iron oxide in the form of hillocks on the surface. Surface and cross-section analysis of the oxide layers show that iron oxide is dominant on the surface of the SLM sample at temperatures of 600 °C and 800 °C, and at 800 °C its extended hilly growth leads to significant spallation of the oxide scale and an exponential increase in the oxidation rate. However, at 900 °C, with the formation of a continuous oxide layer containing Fe2MnO4 and CrMnO4, the oxidation rate significantly decreases in both alloys.

Effect of Heat Treatment Temperature on Isothermal Oxidation of Ni-based Fe-33Ni-19Cr Alloy

This project studies the influence of different grain sizes of Ni-based Fe-33Ni-19Cr alloy obtained from heat treatment procedure on high temperature isothermal oxidation. Heat treatment procedure was carried out at two different temperatures, namely 1000℃ and 1200℃ for 3 hours of soaking time, followed by quenching in the water. These samples are denoted as T1000 and T1200. The heat-treated Ni-based Fe-33Ni-19Cr alloy was subjected to an isothermal oxidation test at 950℃ for 150 hours exposure. Oxidized heat-treated alloys were tested in terms of oxidation kinetics, phase analysis and surface morphology of oxidized samples. Oxidation kinetics were determine based on weight change per surface area as a function of exposure time. Phase analysis was determined using the x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and surface morphology of oxidized samples was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). As a result, the heat treatment procedure shows varying grain sizes. The higher the heat treatment temperature, shows an increase in grain size with a decrease in hardness value. The oxidation kinetics for both heat-treated samples showed an increment pattern of weight change and followed a parabolic rate law. The oxidized T1000 sample recorded the lowest parabolic rate constant of 3.12×10–8 mg2cm–4s–1, indicating a low oxidation rate, thus having good oxidation resistance. Phase analysis from the XRD technique recorded several oxide phases consisting of Cr2O3, MnCr2O4, and (Ti0.97Cr0.03)O2 oxide phases. In addition, a uniform oxide layer is formed on the oxidized T1000 sample, indicating good oxide scale adhesion, thereby improving the protective oxide behavior.

Oxidation resistance of aluminized refractory HfNbTaTiZr high entropy alloy

In the present study, an equimolar HfNbTaTiZr refractory high entropy alloy was subjected to powder-pack aluminizing at 950°C for 4 h. High-temperature isothermal oxidation tests were carried out in open air on both as-cast and aluminized samples at 1000°C for the durations of 5, 25, and 125 h. Microstructural analysis and oxidation kinetics revealed the formation of a complex oxide layer consisting of (Hf,Zr)O2 and Al2O3 with AlN inclusions in the aluminized samples following oxidation. Significant cracking of the complex oxide layer occurred after the prolonged exposure of 125 h. The as-cast samples followed similar oxidation kinetics under all the conditions. However, the magnitude of mass gain for the aluminized samples was 1.18, 1.55, and 3.60 times less than the as-cast samples after 5, 25, and 125 h of oxidation, respectively. The lower mass gain in the aluminized samples indicated the formation of an adherent oxide layer on the surface of the alloy and that the molar volume of the oxide equaled or exceeded the molar volume of the alloy. As a result, the aluminized alloy was shielded from direct contact with gaseous oxygen and oxidation rate was governed by diffusion through the oxide layer.

Effect of Al content in CoCrFeNiAlx HEA on mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation resistance of WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloy

The CoCrFeNiAl high-entropy alloy, with varying Al compositions, was utilized as the bonding phase in this study to fabricate WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx (where x represents the mole ratio of Al element, ranging from 0 to 1) hard alloys using the Spark Plasma Sintering method. The investigation focused on elucidating the influence mechanism of microstructure and properties of CoCrFeNiAlx high-entropy alloys on the mechanical properties of WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloys. Isothermal oxidation testing was subsequently conducted to examine the impact of Al content on the high-temperature oxidation resistance of WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloys. Finally, a comparison was made between the mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation resistance of WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloys and conventional WC-6Co cemented carbide. The findings suggest that as the Al content increases, the CoCrFeNiAlx high-entropy alloy undergoes a transition from a single Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) phase to a combination of FCC and Body Centered Cubic (BCC) phases, ultimately transforming into a BCC phase. This evolution results in a gradual enhancement in hardness. The mechanical properties of WC-10CoCrFeNi hard alloy exhibit exceptional characteristics when the Al content is eliminated, with hardness, fracture toughness, and bending strength reaching 1702 MPa, 13.0 MPa·m1/2, and 1378 MPa respectively. As the Al content increases in WC-10%CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloys, there is a corresponding increase in hardness while fracture toughness and bending strength gradually decrease. Furthermore, an enhancement in high temperature oxidation resistance is observed. Finally, in comparison to the conventional WC-6Co hard alloy, the mechanical properties of WC-10CoCrFeNiAlx hard alloys exhibit similarity while demonstrating a significant enhancement in oxidation resistance.

Isothermal Oxidation and Thermal Shock Resistance of Thick and Porous LaMgAl11O19 Abradable Topcoat

An exploration of the plasma-sprayed abradable sealing coatings (ASCs) of a thick and porous LaMgAl11O19 topcoat onto SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is detailed in this study. Interlayers comprising Si/Si + Yb2Si2O7/Yb2SiO5 environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) were strategically employed, considering their function in protecting the SiC/SiC CMCs from recession and mitigating thermal expansivity misfit. An isothermal oxidation test was conducted at 1300 °C and resulted in the formation of bubble and glassy melt on the side surface of the coated sample, while a significant reaction layer emerged at the Yb2SiO5/LaMgAl11O19 interface near the edge. The localized temperature rise caused by the exothermic oxidation of the SiC/SiC substrate was determined to be the underlying factor for bubble generation. The temperature-dependent viscosity of the melt contributed to various bubble characteristics, and due to the enrichment of Al ions, the glassy melt exacerbated the degradation of the Yb2SiO5 layer. After a thermal shock test at 1300 °C, the substrate on the uncoated backside of the sample experienced fracture, while the front coating remained intact. However, due to the presence of a through-coating crack, an internal crack network also developed within the substrate.

Corrosion Degradation Mechanism of Cr-Coated Zr-4 Alloy under Simulated Nuclear Conditions for Accident-Tolerant Fuel.

Cr coatings with a thickness of about 19 μm were synthesized on Zr-4 cladding using plasma-enhanced arc ion plating. A Zr-Cr micro-diffusion layer was formed via Cr ion cleaning before deposition to enhance the interface bonding strength. Cr coatings exhibit an obvious columnar crystal structure with an average grain size of 1.26 μm using SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) with a small amount of nanoscale pores on the surface. A long-term aqueous test at 420 ± 3 °C, 10.3 ± 0.7 MPa and isothermal oxidation tests at 900~1300 °C in air were conducted to evaluate the Cr-coated Zr-4 cladding. All the results showed that the Cr coatings had a significant protective effect to the Zr-4 alloy. However, the corrosion deterioration mechanism is different. A gradual thinning of the Cr coating was observed in a long-term aqueous test, but a cyclic corrosion mechanism of void initiation-propagation-cracking at the oxide film interface is the main corrosion characteristic of the Cr coating in isothermal oxidation. Different corrosion models are constructed to explain the corrosion mechanism.

Effect of coatings on oxidation behavior of a fourth generation Ni-based single crystal superalloys at ultra high temperature

PtAl and MCrAlY coating were prepared on the fourth generation single crystal superalloy. The isothermal oxidation tests of superalloys with different coatings were performed at 1150 °C and 1200 °C in a muffle furnace with static air for 500 h. The isothermal oxidation behavior and mechanism of two coatings at 1150 °C and 1200 °C was investigated. MCrAlY coating improved oxidation resistance by forming adhesive oxide scales with pegs, and PtAl coating formed dense and coherent oxide scales on surface to hinder the diffusion of oxygen. Compared with two coatings, a smaller oxidize increasing weight of PtAl coating (0.54 mg/cm2) than MCrAlY coating (2.48 mg/cm2) indicated that PtAl coating presented a better oxidation resistance during oxidation test at ultra high temperature, although a significant interdiffusion behavior occurred between PtAl coating and substrate. Besides, the interactive behavior between Ru and coatings was also investigated. Ru in fourth generation single crystal superalloy could diffuse into β-NiAl phase of coatings, maintaining the integrity of coatings. The major difference between MCrAlY coating and PtAl coating came in the amounts of β-NiAl phase, which leading to the difference on the oxidation resistance between MCrAlY and PtAl. The mechanism about influence of temperature on the oxidation property on bare alloy, MCrAlY-DD91 and PtAl-DD91 was also discussed. Ultra high temperature would promote more elements to participate in the reaction with oxygen, change the compositions of oxide scale and phases, resulting to the spallation of oxide scale and decrease of oxidation resistance.

Oxide Scale Formation on Low-Carbon Steels in Future Reheating Conditions

The mitigation of CO2 emissions is one of the major areas of research in iron ore-based steelmaking. In this study, four simulated current and potential future reheating scenarios with different fuel and oxidizer gases were studied regarding the amount of oxide formation and the adhesion of the steel–oxide interface: (1) methane–air; (2) coke oven gas–air; (3) hydrogen–air; (4) and an oxyfuel scenario with 50:50 methane/hydrogen as fuel gases. Isothermal oxidation tests were conducted at temperatures of 1150, 1230 and 1300 °C. Four low-carbon steel grades were tested in the previously mentioned gas atmospheres. The structure and composition of the formed oxide scales was analyzed with FESEM-EDS microscopy. The amount of oxide formation correlated with the water vapor content of the gas atmosphere for all four steel grades; however, notable differences were found between individual steel grades regarding the degree of oxidation increase. No clear evidence was found of the gas atmospheres affecting the adhesion of oxide scales to the steel substrate. The adhesion of the interface was mainly determined by the content of silicon in the steel grade and the test temperature.

The Oxidation Behaviors of NiCoCrAlY Coatings After Pre-Oxidation Treatment During High-Temperature Oxidation at 800 ℃ and 900 ℃

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are essential for protecting the high-temperature components in gas turbines. However, the durability of TBCs is limited, and new technologies to improve their lifetime are necessary. This study focuses on the pre-oxidation treatment of the NiCoCrAlY bond coat in TBCs to reduce the growth rate of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) and improve the TBC lifetime. The mechanism of the TGO growth rate reduction by the pre-oxidation treatment of NiCoCrAlY was investigated. Oxidation behaviors of the surface of NiCoCrAlY coating samples with or without pre-oxidation treatment were evaluated in air at 800 °C and 900 °C. In-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and isothermal oxidation tests were performed. The obtained results revealed that the growth rate of TGO is significantly suppressed by α-Al2O3 layer formed by the pre-oxidation treatment. The generation of γ-Al2O3 and θ-Al2O3, which are typically formed below 900 °C, was significantly reduced by pre-oxidation. It is suggested that this reduction suppresses of the TGO growth.

High temperature oxidation behaviors of Al/Cr composite coating on Ti2AlNb alloy

The Al/Cr coatings were deposited on Ti2AlNb alloy by magnetron sputtering and double glow plasma alloying technology to improve the oxidation resistance. The morphology of the protective coating was investigated by scanning electron microcopy and the phase composition of the coating was analyzed using x-ray diffraction. The results suggested that the protective coating with multilayer structure was dense and homogeneous. The formation of Cr inner diffusion layer was beneficial to the bonding strength between the coating and substrate, which was attributable to the double glow technology. The oxidation behaviors of Al/Cr coating were investigated by the isothermal oxidation tests for 100 h at 700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C, respectively. The results indicated that the protective coating showed a lower oxidation rate. At 700 °C, the Al2O3 oxidation products were formed on the surface of coating at high temperature, which were dense and homogeneous against oxygen diffusion. With the increase of oxidation temperature, the external diffusion of Cr element reacted with oxygen to form Cr2O3, which provided the further protection. As for 900 °C, the volatile CrO3 was formed by the reaction of the external diffusion of Cr and Cr2O3, and the oxidation products Al2O3 and Cr2O3 continued to provide protection for Ti2AlNb alloy.

Comparative study on mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation behaviour of Hastelloy X and Inconel 718 fabricated by laser directed energy deposition

The high temperature oxidation resistance is crucial to assure the reliability of nickel-based superalloy parts serving at elevated temperature. Hastelloy X is a solid solution strengthening superalloy featured by decent mechanical properties and excellent high temperature oxidation resistance, having the potential to replace the commonly used nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 in appropriate high-end manufacturing fields. In this work, a comparative study on mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation behaviour of Hastelloy X and Inconel 718 fabricated by laser directed energy deposition was carried out. Under the same processing parameters, the as-built Hastelloy X consisted of columnar and cellular γ phase with dispersed carbides, but Inconel 718 contained columnar γ phase with dispersed carbides and γ′ phase. At ambient temperature, Hastelloy X showed better ductility but inferior strength and hardness. Additionally, the isothermal oxidation tests at 1000 and 1100 °C demonstrated that the oxidation kinetics curves of both as-built superalloys followed the parabolic law. Hastelloy X owned a better high temperature oxidation resistance, which could be attributed to the uniformly distributed dense Cr2O3 and the relatively slight exfoliation of oxides in the oxide scales.

Cyclic and Isothermal Oxidation Behavior of a Directionally Solidified Ni-Al-Ti-Co-Cr Superalloy

Nickel based superalloys are widely used in such applications as gas turbine blades due to their excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Oxidation is one of the life limiting factors at such temperatures since it accelerates failure mechanisms, e.g. fatigue and creep. In this project, oxidation behavior of Ni-3Al-4.8Ti-9.5Co-14Cr (wt.%) superalloy was investigated under various testing conditions. The alloy was investment-cast with preferential crystal growth direction [100]. Isothermal oxidation tests were carried out at 800°C for 150h. Cyclic oxidation tests were then conducted between 100-800°C for 150 one-hour cycles. An additional one-hour cycle was tested to replicate real-life working condition of the alloy, which consisted of heating the samples up to 800°C followed by slow cooling to 400°C. During the testing, samples were periodically taken from the furnace and weighted with an accuracy of 10-4 g to calculate the weight gain and to analyze the microstructure of formed oxide. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction were used to study the microstructure of oxidation products. The results reveal that the highest amount of weight gain is obtained in isothermal testing, while the lowest in cyclic. Diffusion of Ti and Ni to the free surface results in the early-stage formation of needle-shaped oxide phases followed by severe oxidation of Cr and Al. The layer of chromium oxide is continuous while aluminum oxide is blocky at the deepest position from the free surface. Cracks form at the interface of carbide particles and gamma phase near the free surface of cyclic oxidation samples due to concentration gradient of Ni and Al. Precipitate-free zone are observed near the free surface of all the samples at the end of the tests, but internal oxidation does not occur significantly in all the samples. It is found that temperature fluctuation increases oxide spallation, which causes crack formation. At the same time, in isothermal testing, dense, crack-free layer of oxide form on the surface of superalloy.