Improvement in oxidation resistance of Cantor alloy through microstructure tailoring

Abstract

A method of improving the oxidation resistance of Cantor alloy through microstructure tailoring was revealed. Samples with distinctive microstructures were achieved by different annealing treatments on the cold-rolled Cantor alloy. Oxidation test was then carried out on the various annealed samples at 800 °C for 24 h in air. The oxidation behavior was evaluated in terms of oxidation rate, surface and cross-section microstructure characterization. Although stratified oxide layers including outer Mn2O3 and inner Cr2O3 were observed in all the annealed samples, the thickness of Mn2O3 and Cr2O3 layers was different. Also, the samples exhibited different oxidation rates. The results indicate that the oxidation resistance of various annealed samples is closely related with grain size as well as twin density.