Microstructural evolution of an aluminide coating on alloy 625 during wet air exposure at 900 °C and 1000 °C

The microstructural changes of the aluminized alloy 625 during cyclic oxidation in air + 6% H2O at 900 °C and 1000 °C were analyzed using optical metallography (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy and wave length dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX/WDX) as well as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). An in-house developed thermodynamic-kinetic procedure was employed to predict the microstructural evolution of aluminized alloy 625 during high temperature exposure by considering simultaneously occurring surface oxidation and interdiffusion processes. Due to the lack of mobility data for the relevant alloying elements in the σ-phase, assumptions for the mobilities were made based on the value of the mobilities in α-Cr. Despite these assumptions, the calculated results were found to be in good agreement with experimental observations. The complete depletion of β-NiAl in the coating observed during exposure at 1000 °C was correctly predicted by the model. The model was also able to predict dissolution of the precipitate phases α-Cr and σ in the interdiffusion zone during exposures at 900 °C and 1000 °C. The model was however unable to predict the formation of the μ-phase in the alloy after 1000 h of exposure at 1000 °C. The developed modelling approach offers the potential to predict microstructural changes of aluminized nickel base alloys thus reducing cost and time consuming experimental efforts. •Microstructure degradation of aluminized alloy 625 during exposure at 900 °C and 1000 °C in wet air was studied.•The oxidation and diffusion induced microstructural evolution in the coating and base alloy was modelled.•Coating lifetime with respect to β-NiAl depletion was well predicted.•The dissolution of precipitate phases (α-Cr and σ) in the interdiffusion zone was correctly predicted.•A generalized computational approach to predict microstructural changes in aluminized Ni-base alloys was presented.