Influence of cerium addition on the resistance to oxidation of AM50 alloy prepared by rapid solidification

The influence of various cerium (Ce) additions and starting temperature on the resistance to oxidation of AM50 alloy prepared by rapid solidification (RS, RS-AM50 alloy) has been investigated. The Ce addition has two opposite effects on the oxide scale. To the RS-alloy, the beneficial effect outweighs the detrimental one. However, when the alloy was prepared by slow solidification at the normal cooling rate (SS, SS-AM50 alloy), the detrimental effect was dominant. The improvement of oxide scale is closely related to the adherence of metal/oxide and tightness of oxide scale of the alloy. In addition, the reaction rate at the surface increased with starting temperature, which finally results in the formation of a protective oxide scale. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.