Oxidation Start Detection on Heating Parts of Thermogravimetry Curves for High Temperature Alloys Based on Nickel, Cobalt or Iron
The heating parts of thermogravimetry curves performed for cast alloys in air at high temperatures were analysed, after correction from the effects of air buoyancy variation, to characterize the transient oxidation before reaching the targeted temperature for the isothermal stage usually applied thereafter. This was done here for three binary M-30Cr alloys, six ternary M-30Cr-0.4 and 0.8%C alloys, and three M-30Cr-0.4C-6Ta quaternary alloys, heated in synthetic air at 20 K min-1 until 1000, 1100 or 1200°C. The cobalt alloys begin to be oxidized with a sufficient mass gain to be detected by thermogravimetry, earlier than the nickel or iron alloys (i.e. at lower temperatures). The temperature of oxidation start is lowered by the presence of tantalum for the three families of alloys. When the carbon content (or the carbides density) increases in the alloy, the temperature of oxidation start decreases for the cobalt alloys and remains almost constant for the nickel or iron alloys, while the total mass gain due to oxidation during heating increases for the nickel and cobalt alloys and decreases for the iron alloys.
Effects of Ni Additions on the High Temperature Expansion, Melting and Oxidation Behaviors of Cobalt-Based Superalloys
Nickel is often added to cobalt-based superalloys to stabilize their austenitic structure. In this work the effects of Ni on several high temperature properties of a chromium-rich cobalt-based alloy reinforced by high fraction of TaC carbides are investigated. Different thermal analysis techniques are used: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) and thermogravimetry (TG). Results show that the progressive addition of nickel did not induce great modifications of microstructure, refractoriness or thermal expansion. However, minor beneficial effects were noted, including reduction of the melting temperature range and slight decrease in thermal expansion coefficient. The most important improvement induced by Ni addition concerns the hot oxidation behavior. In this way, introducing several tens wt % Ni in this type of cobalt-based alloy may be recommended.
A Thermodynamic Assessment of the Cr - Fe - O System
The thermodynamic properties and phase relationships in the Cr-Fe-O system have been critically assessed. The solid oxide phases have been represented using the «compound energy» model, which allows the introduction of non-stoichiometry, lattice vacancies, interstitial ions and exchange of ions between different sublattices in a formally very simple way. The properties of both dilute solutions of oxygen in Cr-Fe liquid alloys and liquid oxides were represented by a single two-sublattice «ionic liquid» model. The modelling is limited by the experimental data available but aims to cover the temperature range 298 K to about 2600 K