A microstructural study of the oxide scale formation on ODS Fe-13Cr steel

The high-temperature oxidation behavior of a Y2O3-dispersed Fe-13Cr steel was investigated in air at temperatures of 700 degreesC, 800 degreesC, and 900 degreesC for 10 000 h. The kinetic data showed that oxide scale formation obeyed a parabolic rate law at each temperature and that the oxidation rate was lower than in other studies based on shorter test times. Microstructural analysis of the oxide scales formed at 700 degreesC and 800 degreesC was conducted using cross-sectional specimens and analytical electron microscopy (AEM). This analysis showed that the main scale was a continuous Cr-oxide and that an underlying amorphous silica layer formed at both temperatures, despite the low Si content (0.05 wt%) in the alloy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.