Oxidation kinetics of high strength low alloy steels at elevated temperatures

Abstract High strength low alloy (HSLA) steels are candidate Rockbolt materials for use as underground roof supports at Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Oxidation kinetics of International Rollforms Split Set Friction Rock Stabilizers (SS46), and Swellex Mn24 steels have been determined by temperature modulated thermogravimetry at temperatures ranging between 600 and 900 °C in pure oxygen atmosphere for 100 hr. The imposed sinusoidal temperature modulations (±5 °C for a period of 1 cycle per 200 s) on the isothermal temperature did not have any noticeable effect on the weight gain characteristics during oxidation. Weight gain data on the steels indicate two distinct regions with different oxidation profiles, where a definite change in rates of oxidation is observed: a first oxidation regime where the steels followed a rate law y = kt0.40–0.63 (changing index of rate law depending upon steel and temperature) and a second stage oxidation regime that follows the parabolic law. The results of characterization of the oxide films using SEM/EDAX, X-ray diffraction and Synchrotron white beam X-ray microdiffraction are presented. The oxidation data of the steels presented here is expected to be useful for characterizing those steels for use in underground rock bolt system and as roof support for the DOE proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time thermogravimetric studies of this kind have been done on these steels.