Analysing the pore formation in ternary and quaternary diborides during high-temperature oxidation

Abstract

To improve the high-temperature (T > 1000 °C) oxidation resistance of transition metal diborides TMB2, alloying approaches with Si, as a strong oxide-forming element, have proven to be successful [1-3]. Both ternary (TM-Si-B) and quaternary (e.g., TM-Mo-Si-B by alloying TMB₂ with MoSi₂) systems have shown pore formation due to phase changes and diffusion processes during annealing above 1100 °C. Regarding long-term (t > 1000 h) applications, pores significantly weaken the protective function of the coatings and pose a problem. This study investigates PVD-synthesized ternary and quaternary TM diborides regarding the effect of different TM/B stoichiometries as well as alloying elements influencing pore formation. Phase transformations, as well as diffusion processes and the pore formation itself, were examined in detail using high-resolution techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), atom probe tomography (APT), and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS).

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