Oxidation behaviour of precipitation hardened steel TG,X-Ray,XRD and SEM study

In the present work the oxidation behavior of ageing treated steel was examined up to 1000°C in different environments (O₂ and CO₂) and with different heating rates. The examination was conducted by means of thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In this study it was deduced that in the case of O₂ an oxide scale is formed on top of the steel. The oxidation is uniform and the growth of the scale is more intent at low heating rate. It consist of different Fe, Mn, Mo and Cr oxides which are adjusted in the form of layers. This phenomenon was explained by the different diffusion coefficients of each metal in the already formed scale. Regarding the oxidation in CO₂, the scale formation takes place at a lower temperature than in the case of O₂. Hence the examined substrate is more vulnerable in CO₂.