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Effects of Small Additions of Copper and Copper + Nickel on the Oxidation Behavior of Iron

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Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of small amounts of copper and copper + nickel additions on the oxidation rate and oxide/metal interface microstructure of iron. Three iron-based alloys were compared: 0.3 wt pct copper, 0.3 wt pct copper-0.1 wt pct nickel, and 0.3 wt pct copper-0.05 wt pct nickel. Alloy samples were oxidized in air at 1150 °C for 60, 300, and 600 seconds. Pure iron oxidized for 300 seconds was used as a reference material. The parabolic oxidation rate for the iron-copper alloy did not differ from that of pure iron, but the parabolic rate for the nickel-containing alloys decreased by a factor of 2. The microstructure of the iron-copper alloy consisted of a thin, copper-rich layer at the oxide/metal interface. Both nickel-containing alloys had perturbed oxide/metal interfaces consisting of alternating solid/liquid regions. The application of ternary alloy interface stability theories show that the perturbed interfaces arise from unequal diffusivities in the solid γ-iron phase. It is suggested that this perturbed interface microstructure causes the observed decrease in oxidation rate, by limiting the iron supply to the oxide.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA), and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Material Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Bryan Webler (Graduate Student), Lan Yin (Graduate Student) & Seetharaman Sridhar (Professor)

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  1. Bryan Webler
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  2. Lan Yin
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  3. Seetharaman Sridhar
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Correspondence to Bryan Webler.

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Manuscript submitted August 8, 2008.

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Webler, B., Yin, L. & Sridhar, S. Effects of Small Additions of Copper and Copper + Nickel on the Oxidation Behavior of Iron. Metall Mater Trans B 39, 725–737 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-008-9196-9

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