Interfacial reactions of duplex stainless steels with molten aluminum

The morphology and constitution of the intermetallic layers formed on the surface of duplex stainless steels (DSSs) immersed in molten aluminum at 750 degrees C for 30 min have been studied in detail by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro-analyzer. Compared with H13 steel, the DSSs exhibited a better corrosion resistance. The weight loss rates, as expressed in terms of weight loss per square centimeter of the specimen per minute, of DSSs are smaller than that of H13. The thickness of the intermetallic layers of DSSs is comparatively thinner. And the interface between the intermetallic layers and DSSs substrate is much flatter. The intermetallic layers of duplex stainless steels are consisted of inner continuous (Fe,Cr)(2)Al-5 phase and outer porous (Fe,Cr)Al-3 phases. Microstructure observations suggest that the retarded interfacial reaction between DSSs and molten aluminum is associated with a continuous Al-Fe-Cr intermetallic phases layer formed on the solid/liquid interface, which acts as an effective diffusion barrier. The precipitation phase particles distributed along the austenite/ferrite and ferrite/ferrite interfaces also had a good effect on the corrosion resistance properties of DSSs to molten aluminum. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.