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Surface Oxidation and Segregation of TZM Alloy

Segregation phenomenon refers to the constituent elements of the alloy uneven distribution in the crystallization. The experiment found that TZM alloy added element segregation occurs at ultrahigh vacuum and at different temperature ranges. Titanium segregation starts from 840 ℃ and zirconium segregation is beginning from 1100 ℃. Titanium’s maximum temperature segregation is 1150 ℃ and zirconium is 1350 ℃. Higher than the above temperature, the surface concentration of titanium and zirconium are decreasing, and higher than 1400 ℃titanium will disappear the same surface. Segregation temperature is similar to the required temperature of these two elements diffuse to the molybdenum substrate. The temperature of segregation disappearance depends on the balance of the additional diffusion kinetics.

In TZM alloys, titanium and zirconium element has a great affinity for oxygen, so oxidation reaction with oxygen is easily. Stability of TiO2 and ZrO2 promotes the surface material to absorbent the oxygen, free standard enthalpy of formation of these two oxides is lower than MoO2, and both vapor pressure is smaller than MoO2. Thus, the surface oxygen can diffuse to the alloy and preferential oxidation with the additive of alloy producing oxides precipitate. TZM alloy samples after 1390 ℃ treatment, the alloy surface is covered with a large amount of oxide precipitation. After milling alloy surface, the inside oxygen precipitates content only one-tenth of alloy surface.

We can confirm TZM alloy surface oxidation by microstructure oxide precipitation tests of the alloy. The shape and form of oxide precipitates has big difference with carbide precipitate. In an oxidizing atmosphere, at 1200 ℃ alloy starts decarburization reaction, oxygen is gradually dissolved and the original oxide oxidation occurs.

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