The Effect of Copper and Ceria Additions on the High Temperature Oxidation of Nickel

In this study, the effects of alloying with Cu and external doping with CeO2 on the oxidation of nickel were evaluated. The materials studied were pure Ni, Ni-5wt% Cu, and Ni with the surface doped with CeO2 by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The oxidation kinetics were measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The oxidation microstructures were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) compositional analysis was performed with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDS) and sputtered neutrals mass spectrometry (SNMS). Phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Cu additions had a negligible effect on the oxidation kinetics but Cu was found to be present in the outer portions of the scale in significant concentrations. Doping with CeO2 resulted in a significant decrease in the NiO growth rate. The scales on doped Ni grew primarily inward whereas those on the undoped Ni grew primarily outward. Deposition of the CeO2 dopant onto Ni with a thin, reformed NiO layer produced a similar reduction in the subsequent NiO growth rate. This suggests that the poisoned interface model, proposed by Pieraggi and Rapp, does not describe the effect of the CeO2 dopant. Mechanisms are presented to attempt to describe the above observations.