On the Microstructure and Isothermal Oxidation of Silica and Alumina Scale Forming Si-23Fe-15Cr-15Ti-1Nb and Si-25Nb-5Al-5Cr-5Ti (at.%) Silicide Alloys

An Nb-silicide based alloy will require some kind of coating system. Alumina and/or SiO₂ forming alloys that are chemically compatible with the substrate could be components of such systems. In this work, the microstructures, and isothermal oxidation at 800 °C and 1200 °C of the alloys (at.%) Si-23Fe-15Cr-15Ti-1Nb (OHC1) and Si-25Nb-5Al-5Cr-5Ti (OHC5) were studied. The cast microstructures consisted of the (TM)₆Si₅, FeSi₂Ti and (Fe,Cr)Si (OHC1), and the (Nb,Ti)(Si,Al)₂, (Nb,Cr,Ti)₆Si₅, (Cr,Ti,Nb)(Si,Al)₂ (Si) and (Al) (OHC5) phases. The same compounds were present in OHC1 at 1200 °C and the (Nb,Ti)(Si,Al)₂ and (Nb,Cr,Ti)₆Si₅ in OHC5 at 1400 °C. In OHC1 the (TM)₆Si₅ was the primary phase, and the FeSi and FeSi₂Ti formed a binary eutectic. In OHC5 the (Nb,Ti)(Si,Al)₂ was the primary phase. At 800 °C both alloys did not pest. The scale of OHC1 was composed of SiO₂, TiO₂ and (Cr,Fe)₂O₃. The OHC5 formed a very thin and adherent scale composed of Al₂O₃, SiO₂ and (Ti ,Cr ,Nb )O₂. The scale on (Cr,Ti,Nb)(Si,Al)₂ had an outer layer of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ and an inner layer of Al₂O₃. The scale on the (Nb,Cr,Ti)₆Si₅ was thin, and consisted of (Ti ,Cr ,Nb )O₂ and SiO₂ and some Al₂O₃ near the edges. In (Nb,Ti)(Si,Al)₂ the critical Al concentration for the formation of Al₂O₃ scale was 3 at.%. For Al < 3 at.% there was internal oxidation. At 1200 °C the scale of OHC1 was composed of a SiO₂ inner layer and outer layers of Cr₂O₃ and TiO₂, and there was internal oxidation. It is most likely that a eutectic reaction had occurred in the scale. The scale of OHC5 was α-Al₂O₃. Both alloys exhibited good correlations with alumina forming Nb-Ti-Si-Al-Hf alloys and with non-pesting and oxidation resistant B containing Nb-silicide based alloys in maps of the parameters δ, Δχ and VEC.