Oxidation behaviour of an austenitic Fe–30Mn–5Al–0.5C alloy

The oxidation behaviour of an austenitic Fe-30Mn-5Al (wt.%) alloy was studied in air in the 600-900°C temperature range. The alloy exhibits good oxidation resistance below 700°C. The low oxidation resistance above 700°C is related to the occurrence of internal oxidation. The susceptibility to suffer a deep attack by internal oxidation increases with increasing the temperature. A mechanism involving oxygen dissolution in the austenitic matrix, internal oxidation of aluminium, destabilisation of the austenitic matrix and further formation of a ferrite zone is proposed to explain the high mass gains presented by these kind of alloys. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.