Environmental resistance of intermetallic compounds and composite materials

Intermetallic compounds and composites based on them are candidate materials for high temperature structural applications. However, both elevated temperature and ambient temperature resistance to the environment pose potential problems. For example, minor alloying elements have been shown to have a significant influence on the static and cyclic oxidation resistance. In addition, at ambient temperatures, virtually all of the alloys that have been examined show considerable susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement. A brief overview of these phenomena is presented.