Improving Oxidation Resistance of Stainless Steel (AISI 316L) by Pack Cementation

Abstract

The cyclic oxidation resistance of austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L) can be improved by enriching the surface composition in Al and Si using pack cementation process. In this work, stainless steel is coated with two different types of coatings, the first one is Si-modified aluminide coating and the second is the Ce-doped silicon modified aluminide coating. Aluminum, silicon with and without cerium were simultaneously deposited by diffusion into St.St.316L substrate by the packcementation process, using a pack mixture containing (18%A1, 7%Si, 2%NH 4 C1 and 73%Al 2 O 3 ) and 0.5% Ce (wt %) when required. Microstructure and chemical composition of the coated specimens were analyzed using electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). X-Ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify phase formed in the surface layer of as-coated specimens. The coating time was changed, and it was found that diffusion coating time of 3h at 970C° produces coating thickness of 160-180μm and consist mainly of FeAl and (Cr 4 Si 4 Al 13 ) phases. Also, the surface morphology for the coated samples after 3h coating time at 970C° are dense, smooth and homogeneous. Cyclic oxidation tests were conducted on the uncoated St.St.316L , Si-modified aluminide coating and on Ce-doped silicon modified aluminide coating at a temperature range between (700-900)C° in (air and H 2 O) for 120h at 10 h cycle. The oxidation kinetics for uncoated St.St.316L in air environment are found to be linear, while the oxidation kinetics at water vapor environment are found to be nearly parabolic. The linear rate constant (K L ) and the parabolic rate constant (Kp) values obtained at 800C° in air and water vapor are -2.77*10 -7 (mg/cm 2 )/s and 2.18*10 -5 (mg 2 /cm 4 )/s respectively. The phases present on the cyclic oxidation of uncoated St.St.316L surface under most test conditions as revealed by XRD analysis are chromium (III) oxide, NiFe 2 O 4 , NiCr 2 O 4 and iron oxide. Oxide phases that were formed on coated systems during air and H 2 O oxidation exposure condition are FeAl 2 O 4 , Fe(Al,Cr) 2 O 4 and Fe 2 O 3 . The oxidation kinetics for both coated systems in air and water vapor are found to be linear and parabolic respectively.