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The FeCrAl alloy Kanthal APMT™ was exposed to N2–5%H2 at 900 °C. Trace oxygen in the gases supplied an oxygen activity which was sufficient to render alumina and chromia thermodynamically stable. The exposures revealed that the oxide scale was penetrated by nitrogen exclusively at chromia domains. Microscopic analyses of the oxide scale did not reveal micro-cracks that could serve as points-of-entry for nitrogen. Instead it is suggested that nitrogen is transported through a dense chromia layer. Density functional theory was employed to investigate decisive nitrogen surface chemistry and transport properties in chromia and alumina. The study was used to validate that the complex redox chemistry of Cr3+ as opposed to Al3+ is a sufficient discriminating factor between alumina and chromia, facilitating N2 dissociation and mobility of N in chromia.
Geers et al. (Wed,) studied this question.