Oxidation studies of Fe10CrAl–RE alloys exposed to Pb at 550 °C for 10,000 h

Five experimental FeCrAl–RE alloys have been exposed up to 10,000 h in stagnant liquid Pb at 550 °C. The test matrix consisted of three 10 wt.% Cr alloys, with an Al content ranging from 4 to 8 wt.% (10Cr–4Al, 10Cr–6Al and 10Cr–8Al), one alloy without additions of reactive elements (RE) (10Cr–6Al), and one reference alloy with 21 wt.% Cr and 5 wt.% Al (21Cr–5Al). The evaluation showed a clear difference in oxidation properties, and it was possible to divide the alloys into two distinct groups. A critical Al concentration in the interval of 4–6 wt.% at the given RE content was required to form a thin protective oxide. However, the absence of RE addition in one of the two 10Cr–6Al alloys resulted in a significant reduction in oxidation resistance, comparable with 10Cr–4Al. None of the alloys were severely corroded, however Pb penetrated to a relatively large extent into the porous oxide of the low performing alloys. A 100 nm thick oxide scale, partly consisting of alumina (Al2O3), was observed for the high performing 10Cr–6Al alloy. The Fe10CrAl–RE alloys showed overall very good corrosion resistance and are hence a promising new alloy category for liquid Pb applications.