Influence of Grain Refinement on Oxidation Behavior of Two-Phase Cu–Cr Alloys at 973–1,073 K in Air

Abstract

The oxidation behavior of grain-refined Cu–7.0 Cr alloy (GR Cu–7.0 Cr) in air at 973–1,073 K was investigated in comparison with normal casting Cu–7.0 Cr alloy (CA Cu–7.0 Cr). The oxidation of CA Cu–7.0 Cr alloy nearly followed parabolic law, while the oxidation kinetics of GR Cu–7.0 Cr slightly deviated from parabolic law. Both alloys almost produced multi-layered scales consisting of the outer layer of CuO and the inner layer of mixed Cr2O3 and Cu2O oxides plus internal oxidation zones of chromium. The grain-refined Cu–7.0 Cr alloy produced a more amount of Cr2O3 in the inner layer of the scale, and thus was oxidized at much lower oxidation rate than that of CA Cu–7.0 Cr with normal grain size. The experimental results indicated that the differences in oxidation behavior between two alloys may be ascribed to the different size and spatial distribution of the second-phase particles and the reactive component contents in localized zone.