High-Temperature Oxidation and Thermal Expansion Behavior of NbTi–X (X = 5Co, 10Cr, 10Ni, 10CoCrNi) Refractory Medium Entropy Alloys
摘要
The formation of Nb2O5 and other oxides in NbTi–X (X = 5Co, 10Cr, 10Ni, 10CoCrNi) after exposure to 800 °C accelerates oxidation kinetics, shifting from a parabolic rate law to a power-law exponent of two at 1200 °C. Subsequent oxidation at 800 °C for material initially exposed to oxidation at 1200 °C shows that the retained TiNb2O7 and CrNbO4 oxide scale substantially improves oxidation kinetics, transitioning from linear to parabolic behavior at this temperature. The oxide scales were heterogeneous, exhibiting regions with thin oxide layers alongside areas of thick, porous scales due to the formation of discontinuous metal and complex oxide structures. Microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the formation of metal oxides and complex oxides plays a crucial role in oxidation resistance. In alloys containing Co and Ni, TiNb2O7 and Nb2O5 layers are observed. Additionally, NbTi–10(CoCrNi) exhibited significant internal corrosion zones composed of various oxides. Quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the oxide scales formed after 16 hours of oxidation confirmed that Nb2O5 and TiO2 were the predominant phases when oxidation resistance is relatively poor and TiNb2O7 and CrNbO4 are present when oxidation weight gain rates are comparatively lower. Furthermore, it is found that these alloys exhibit low, stable thermal expansion, with hysteresis primarily in the as-cast state due to phase transitions and internal stresses, which largely disappear after homogenization due to single-phase stability and reduced partitioning effects. These findings may provide valuable insights into the oxidation behavior, structural evolution, and thermal stability of these alloys, particularly in environments involving thermal cycling between high and low temperatures.