Effect of substrate roughness on the corrosion behaviour of the Al2O3/MA 956 system

This paper presents the influence of substrate roughness on the corrosion behaviour of the Al2O3/MA 956 system. An alumina layer of thickness 1–5 μm was generated of the MA956 alloy by thermal oxidation at 1100°C using different exposure times. This Al2O3/MA 956 system with a polished substrate has shown excellent corrosion behaviour in a physiological fluid, due to the fact that the α-Al2O3 layer formed is dense, continuous and firmly adhered to the substrate, irrespective of the scale thickness. This good adherence allows it to withstand potentials above 1.7 V. Specimens with rough finish substrate and treatment times above 10 h present spallation of the alumina layer at the crests of the roughness profile. In this case a mixed corrosion behaviour between an alumina coated material and one with a passive layer is observed. In both types of specimens, rough and smooth, once the passivation layer is broken the repassivation capacity of the substrate is ensured due to the high chromium content of the alloy, under oxygenation conditions.