The Impact of Various Superalloys on the Oxidation Performance of Nanocrystalline Coatings at High Temperatures

Abstract

Nanocrystalline coatings with the same chemical composition as an N5 superalloy were prepared on K38 and N5 superalloys by magnetron sputtering. The effect of different superalloys on the high temperature oxidation behavior of nanocrystalline coatings was investigated through oxidation kinetics, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS). The results indicated that K38-N5 had better oxidation resistance than N5-N5 due to the diffusion of Zr from the K38 superalloy into the oxide scale. In addition, no interdiffusion occurred in the K38 superalloy. The formation of Ta-rich phases in the Al2O3 scale leads to decrease the oxidation resistance of nanocrystalline coatings. However, the presence of Zr inhibits the formation of Ta-rich phases.