Abstract
Effects of plasma-nitriding on the pitting corrosion of Fe-30at%Al-5at%Cr alloy containing Ti, Hf, and Zr were investigated using potentiostat in 0.1M HCl. The specimen was casted by the vacuum arc melting. The subsequent homogenization was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 7days and phase stabilizing heat treatment was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $500^{\circ}C$ for 5 days. The specimen was nitrided in the $N_2$, and $H_2$, (1:1) mixed gas of $10^{-4}$ torr at $480^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs. After the corrosion tests, the surface of the tested specimens were observed by the optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy, the addition of Hf has equi-axied structure and addition of Zr showed dendritic structure. For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy containing Ti, plasma nitriding proved beneficial to decrease the pitting corrosion attack by increasing pitting potential due to formation of TiN film. Addition of Hf and Zr resulted in a higher activation current density and also a lower pitting potential. These results indicated the role of dendritic structure in decreasing the pitting corrosion resistance of Fe-30Al-5Cr alloy. Ti addition to Fe-30Al-5Cr decreased the number and size of pits. In the case of Zr and Hf addition, the pits nucleated remarkably at dendritic branches.
