Poster Session

Characterization of Oxide Layers Formed on Ferritic Stainless Steels That Have Undergone Surface Treatment

Laurel Cooper, MSc student in Materials Engineering

Supervisor - Dr. D. Ivey

Ferritic stainless steels show promise as interconnect materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) due to their low cost, machinability and thermal expansion coefficient match with other cell components. However, the oxidation resistance of commercial stainless steels within the operating temperature range of 700 to 800 ºC, particularly over long periods of time, is not adequate. One way of modifying the oxidation behaviour of an alloy is through surface treatment, such as cold rolling and sandblasting. The aim of this work was to study the effect of surface treatment on the oxidation behaviour of three ferritic stainless steels (400, 434, and ZMG 232). Oxidation tests were carried out at 800 ºC, and the mass gain as a function of time was determined. A number of different characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), were used.