Properties of Alumina/Chromia Scales in N2-Containing Low Oxygen Activity Environment Investigated by Experiment and Theory

• The FeCrAl alloy Kanthal APMT™ was exposed to N2–5%H2 at 900 °C. Trace oxygen in the gases supplied an oxygen activity which was sufficient to render alumina and chromia thermodynamically stable. The exposures revealed that the oxide scale was penetrated by nitrogen exclusively at chromia domains. Microscopic analyses of the oxide scale did not reveal micro-cracks that could serve as points-of-entry for nitrogen. Instead it is suggested that nitrogen is transported through a dense chromia layer. Density functional theory was employed to investigate decisive nitrogen surface chemistry and transport properties in chromia and alumina. The study was used to validate that the complex redox chemistry of Cr3+ as opposed to Al3+ is a sufficient discriminating factor between alumina and chromia, facilitating N2 dissociation and mobility of N in chromia.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Oorganisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Inorganic Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Teoretisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Theoretical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Korrosionsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Corrosion Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Alumina

Chromia

Metastable phases

Transport properties of the oxide

Nitridation

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)