The role of secondary oxide inclusions (“pegs”) on the spalling resistance of oxide films

Abstract The resistance to spalling of a thermally grown oxide from a nickel-based superalloy (PWA 1484) is shown to be related to the spatial distribution and areal density of secondary oxide inclusions (“pegs”) formed at the alumina/alloy interface. Spalling, which develops with time after cooling to room temperature, initiates from the edges of polished samples. On surfaces cut parallel to the solidification direction in the underlying alloy, the spalls then propagate as strips across the material in the solidification direction, along the primary dendrites. The secondary oxide inclusions, which consist of a Ta-rich oxide core and an outer alumina sheath, appear to form by preferential oxidation of the inter-dendritic precipitates.