Materials Science Forum, Vol.369-3, 197-204, 2001
High temperature corrosion of cast irons and cast steels in dry air
The oxidation in dry air of four cast alloys intended for exhaust gas systems has been examined. Particular interest was directed to how the oxide growth was related to the micro structures. The examined alloys were two cast ductile irons, a SiMo alloy (Fe3,86Si0,6Mo3C) and a Ni-Resist alloy (Fe32Ni5,3Si2,1C). and two cast stainless steels, one ferritic (Fc18Cr2,1Mn0,32C) and one austenitic (Fe20Cr9Ni0,47C). Coupons were oxidised for 50 h at temperatures between 650 degreesC and 1050 degreesC. The samples were characterised by using XRD, SEM/EDX and AES. As expected, the overall oxide thickness increased with temperature and partial spallation occurred at the highest temperatures for all alloys. Porous Fe oxide nodules nucleate at the graphite nodules on the ductile irons. These Fe-oxide nodules formed above a continuous layer of Fe-Si-oxide for the SiMo and mixed Fe-Ni-Si oxides for the Ni-Resist. The total oxide thickness is about (60 mum). Thick oxides at the interdendritic regions in the cast steels were attributed to non-Cr-carbides. Segregation of Cr directed the formation of iron oxide nodules to the centre of the dendrites in the austenitic alloy.
Keywords:air;austenitic stainless steel;cast iron;cast steel;dendrite;ductile iron;ferritic stainless steel;graphite;high temperature corrosion;Ni-resist;oxidation;segregation;SiMo