The Isothermal Oxidation of a New Polycrystalline Turbine Disk Ni-Based Superalloy at 800 °C and Its Modification with Pre-oxidation

Ni-based superalloys with enhanced oxidation resistance at high temperatures are crucial for next-generation gas turbine engines. A new polycrystalline Ni-based superalloy (C19) that combines improved microstructural stability with environmental resistance has been developed. Its oxidation resistance has been determined through measurements of the specific mass change and morphological evolution of the formed oxides following furnace exposures at 800 degrees C in air for up to 1000 hours; the results of which were benchmarked against Nimonic 105. C19 showed hybrid Type II/Type III behavior as a marginal Al2O3 former and performed similarly to established superalloys at 750 degrees C. The Wagner model for the transition from internal to external oxide formation predicted that C19 should form a continuous Al2O3 scale at higher temperatures. A pre-oxidation treatment at 1100 degrees C for 1 hour was, therefore, selected and shown to dramatically improve the oxidation resistance during subsequent exposure at 800 degrees C. Oxide cross-sectional analysis showed that C19 formed a continuous and protective Al2O3 scale after the pre-oxidation treatment, whereas Nimonic 105 retained discontinuous Al2O3 finger-like intrusions beneath a Cr2O3 overscale.