Surface Oxidation and Wettability of Fe–Mn and Fe–Mn–Si-Alloyed Steel After Annealing

Abstract The surface oxidation and wettability of Mn Si-alloyed steel after annealing at different conditions are studied with scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a so-called de-wetting method. After exposure 950 °C for 1 hour in an Ar + 5 vol pct H 2 gas atmosphere dew points (DP) ranging from – 40 to 10 °C, oxides were observed along the grain boundaries or dispersed on Fe–1.8 steels while continuous layer was formed Fe–1.9 Mn–0.94 Si (composition weight fractions). DPs predicted based thermodynamic calculations. (Fe,Mn)O whole range DPs, oxide phase depends DP. At low-DP SiO increasing DP (Fe,Mn)SiO 3 (Fe,Mn) 4 finally formed. An increase fraction Fe both XPS analysis. As measure wettability, contact angle Pb droplets annealed surfaces determined SEM image analysis software. Also, pure alloyed free measured comparison. results show that decreases This improved point is related surface.