Use of thermogravimetry and thermodynamic calculations for specifying chromium diffusion occurring in alloys containing chromium carbides during high temperature oxidation

The chromium diffusion is of great importance for the high temperature oxidation behaviour of the chromium-rich carbides-strengthened superalloys. These ones contain high chromium quantities for allowing them well resisting hot corrosion by constituting and maintaining a continuous external scale of chromia. Knowing how chromium can diffuse in such alloys is thus very useful for predicting the sustainability of their chromia-forming behaviour. Since Cr diffusion occurs through the external part of the alloy already affected by the previous steps of oxidation (decarburized subsurface) it is more judicious to specify this diffusion during the oxidation process itself. This was successfully carried out in this work in the case of a model chromia-forming nickel-based alloy containing chromium carbides, Ni(bal.)–25Cr–0.5C (in wt.%). This was done by specifying, using real-time thermogravimetry, the mass gain kinetic due to oxidation, and by combining it with the post-mortem determination of the Cr concentration profiles in subsurface. The values of D_Cr thus obtained for 1000, 1050 and 1100 °C in the alloy subsurface are consistent with the values obtained in earlier works for similar alloy's chemical compositions. - Highlights: • A Ni25Cr0.50C alloy was oxidized at high temperature in a thermo-balance. • The mass gain files were analysed to specify the Cr₂O₃ volatilization constant K_v. • Concentration profiles were acquired to specify the chromium gradient. • The diffusion coefficient of chromium through the subsurface was deduced. • The obtained diffusion coefficient is consistent with values previously obtained.