Article abstract
Nature Materials 7, 641 - 646 (2008)
Published online: 11 July 2008 | doi:10.1038/nmat2227
Subject Categories: Metals and alloys | Biological materials | Structural materials
The role of metal nanoparticles and nanonetworks in alloy degradation
Z. Zeng1, K. Natesan1, Z. Cai2 & S. B. Darling3
Abstract
Oxide scale, which is essential to protect structural alloys from high-temperature degradation such as oxidation, carburization and metal dusting, is usually considered to consist simply of oxide phases. Here, we report on a nanobeam X-ray and magnetic force microscopy investigation that reveals that the oxide scale actually consists of a mixture of oxide materials and metal nanoparticles. The metal nanoparticles self-assemble into nanonetworks, forming continuous channels for carbon transport through the oxide scales. To avoid the formation of these metallic particles in the oxide scale, alloys must develop a scale without spinel phase. We have designed a novel alloy that has been tested in a high-carbon-activity environment. Our results show that the incubation time for carbon transport through the oxide scale of the new alloy is more than an order of magnitude longer compared with commercial alloys with similar chromium content.
- Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
Correspondence to: Z. Zeng1 e-mail: zeng@anl.gov
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