Papers by Author: F. Rabaste

Abstract: Phosphoric acid treatment is used as a way to improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of a chromia-forming AISI 304 steel. Chromia-forming steels are excellent candidates to resist to high temperature oxidizing atmospheres because of the formation of protective oxide scales. The oxide scale growth mechanisms are studied by exposing phosphoric acid-treated and untreated 304 steel samples to high temperature conditions in air. The analyses were carried out by means of thermogravimetry, and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results show that the phosphoric acid treatment does not have a beneficial effect on cyclic high temperature oxidation (up to 70h of the oxidation test) of AISI 304 steel because of growth of a layer mainly formed by external cation diffusion which grows very quickly. The isothermal high temperature oxidation of this steel at 800°C in air shows a very fast initial iron oxidation towards the external interface, allowing to chromium element to be more available to the internal interface to form a continuous chromia layer, thus causing the establishment of a parabolic oxidation regime and leading to a beneficial reduction of the oxidation rate (after 70h of the oxidation test).

Abstract: Chromia-forming steels are excellent candidates to resist to high temperature oxidizing atmospheres because they form protective oxide scales. The oxide scale growth mechanisms are studied by exposing AISI 304 stainless steel to high temperature conditions in air, and the analyses were carried out by means of thermogravimetry and in situ X-rays diffraction. The in situ XRD analyses carried out during high temperature AISI 304 steel oxidation in air reveals the accelerated growth of iron-containing oxides such as hematite Fe2O3 and iron-chromite FeCr2O4, when the initial germination of the oxide layer contains the presence of a manganese-containing spinel compound (1000°C). When the initial growth shows the only chromia formation (800°C), hematite formation appears differed in time. Protection against corrosion is thus increased when the initial germination of manganese-containing spinel oxide is inhibited in the oxide scale.

Abstract: The aim of the present work is to investigate the effect of Lanthanum surface addition on the oxidation behaviour of the AISI 304 stainless steel, in air, at 1000°C. The in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses on the blank steel reveal that after the first 10h oxidation, a change in the structural composition of the oxide scale occurs. During the first ten hours oxidation an initial growth of chromia and Mn1,5Cr1,5O4 is observed. After 10 h oxidation, chromia is not detected anymore and iron-containing oxides such as hematite (Fe2O3) and iron chromite (FeCr2O4) are observed in the outer part of the scale. With blank AISI 304 specimens, the iron-containing oxides are generally not very protective and show severe spallation during cooling to room temperature due to thermal stresses. They do not allow a good adherence of the corrosion layer under thermal cycling. On the Lanthanum coated AISI 304 Stainless Steel the oxidation rate is 10 times lower. In situ XRD analyses show the absence of iron containing oxides. It reveals the formation of a fine convoluted Cr2O3 layer associated with the formation of the mixed oxides Mn1,5Cr1,5O4 and LaCrO3. LaCrO3 is found to be located at the oxide/steel interface. Our results show that, even though the scale formed under isothermal conditions is not composed of iron containing oxides, Lanthanum sol-gel coating does not prevent spallation during thermal cycling at 1000°C.