SULFIDATION PROCESSING AND Cr ADDITION TO IMPROVE OXIDATION RESISTANCE OF Ti-Al INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

A novel process is proposed to improve oxidation resistance of Ti-Al intermetallic compounds at elevated temperatures by both Cr addition and pre-sulfidation, where TiAl alloys withlor without Cr addition were sulfidized at 1173K for 86.4ks at a 1.3 Pa sulfur partial pressure in a $H_2-H_2S$ gas mixture. The pre-sulfidation treatment formed a thin Cr-Al alloy layer as well as 7~10 micrometer $TiAl_3$ and $TiAl_2$ layer, due to selective sulfidation of Ti. Oxidation resistance of the pre-sulfidation processed TiAl 4Cr alloy was examined under isothermal and heat cycle conditions between room temperature and 1173K in air. Changes in $TiAl_3$ into $TiAl_2$ and then TiAl phases as well as their effect on oxidation behavior were investigated and compared with the oxidation behavior of the TiAl-4Cr alloy as TiAl and pre-sulfidation processed TiAl aHoys. After oxidation for up to 2.7Ms a protective $Al_2O_3$ scale was formed, and the pre-formed $TiAl_3$ changed into $TiAl_2$ and the $Al_2Cr$ phase changed into a CrAlTi phase between the $Al_2O_3$ scale and $TiAl_2$ layer. The pre-sulfidation processed TiAl-4Cr alloy had very good oxidation resistance for longer times, up to 2.7 Ms, in contrast to those observed for the pre-sulfidation processed TiAl alloy where localized oxidation occurred after 81 Oks and both the TiAl and TiAl-4Cr alloys themselves corroded rapidly from the initial stage of oxidation