Chromium Deposition on Cobalt-Based Alloys by Pack-Cementation and Behaviour of the Coated Alloys in High Temperature Oxidation

Two TaC-strengthened cobalt-based alloys, with compositions Co-10Cr-0.25C-4.4Ta and Co-10Cr-0.5C-8.7Ta (wt.%) underwent Cr-deposition by pack-cementation, followed by heat-treatment to allow Cr diffusing deeper in their sub-surface. Thereafter they were tested for 50 hours at 1200°C in a thermobalance. These alloys were successfully enriched in chromium, with a maximal content on surface of about 30wt.% and a depth of enrichment of several hundreds of micrometers. This allowed a chromia-forming behavior of the cemented alloys despite the 10wt.%Cr of the bulk. This was especially true for the {C,Ta}-richest alloy the oxidation kinetic of which was wholly parabolic and analogous to a Ni-30Cr alloy known for its good behavior in oxidation at 1200°C. The parabolic constants and chromia-volatilization constants were at the same levels of the Ni-30Cr ones. However, the chromium enrichment step, especially the diffusion heat-treatment following the cementation, causes fragmentation and surface fraction reduction of the tantalum carbides which strengthen the alloy.