Abstract:
TiAl alloy with high Nb content, nominally Ti–45Al–10Nb, was prepared by powder metallurgy, and the oxidation resistance at 850, 900, and 950°C was investigated. The high-temperature oxidation-resistance mechanism and oxidation dynamics were discussed following the oxide skin morphology and microstructural evolution analysis. The oxide skin structures were similar for 850 and 900°C, with TiO
2+Al
2O
3 mixture covering TiO
2 with dispersed Nb
2O
5. At 950°C, the oxide skin was divided into four sublayers, from the outside to the parent metal: loose TiO
2+Al
2O
3, dense Al
2O
3, dense TiO
2+Nb
2O
5, and TiO
2 matrix with dispersed Nb
2O
5. The Nb layer suppressed the outward diffusion of Ti atoms, hindering the growth of TiO
2, and simultaneously promote the formation of a continuous Al
2O
3 protective layer, providing the alloy with long-term high-temperature oxidation resistance.