The Effects of Reactive-Element, Ion-Implantation-Induced Amorphous Layers on the Oxidation of Co-12Cr and Ni-12Cr Alloys

Abstract

Nickel-chromium (Ni-12Cr, wt.%) andcobalt-chromium (Co-12Cr, wt.%) alloys were ionimplanted with 150 keV yttrium to fluences that rangedbetween 2 × 10¹⁶ and 1 ×10¹⁷ ions/cm². The influence ofthe implantation on the microstructure of the alloy wasdetermined. The effect of the highest dose implantationon the alloys' oxidation response at 1000°C, 48 hrwas measured. Both alloys contained an amorphous surface phase as a result of this fluence and one ofthe effects of oxidation was to recrystallize theamorphized alloy in the first few minutes of oxidation.The lower doses of 2 × 10¹⁶ions/cm² were sufficient to cause amorphization of both the Ni-12Cr andthe Co-12Cr. The implantation reduced the isothermalmass gain by a factor of 25% for the Ni-12Cr, but had anegligible effect on the Co-12Cr alloy. Short-term oxidation experiments at 600°C showed viatransmission electron microscopy that, in the absence ofthe yttrium implant, the Ni-12Cr alloy forms NiO in thefirst minute of oxidation and the Co-12Cr alloy forms CoO and CoCr₂O₄.The implanted Ni-12Cr, on the other hand (1 ×10¹⁷Y⁺/cm²), formsrecrystallized Ni-Cr, Y₂O₃, andNiO in the near-surface region, while the implantedCo-12Cr alloy forms CoO, CoCr₂O₄, and a recrystallized intermetallic alloy fromthe amorphized region.