Corrosion behavior of Al-containing MAX-phase coatings exposed to oxygen containing molten Pb at 600 °C

Four types of MAX-phase coating samples (Cr2AlC, V2AlC, Ti2AlC, and Ti3AlC2), synthesized via physical vapor deposition and post-annealing of elemental multilayer films, have been investigated toward their potential corrosion protection in 10-6 wt% oxygen-containing molten Pb for 3200 h at 600 °C. Three MAX-phase coatings (Cr2AlC, Ti2AlC, and Ti3AlC2) are corrosion resistant against the molten Pb, via formation of a protective oxide layer. Specifically, various oxide scales formed on each sample: an Al2O3 scale, containing a low amount of Cr2O3 was formed in case of the Cr2AlC coating; a mixed Al2O3 and TiO2 oxide scale was observed for both Ti2AlC and Ti3AlC2 coatings. A more complex mixed oxide layer consisting of VO2, V4O7, and Pb3(VO4)2 phases is formed on the V2AlC coating, while the MAX-phase coating was almost entirely consumed. According to their corrosion performance against oxygen containing molten Pb, the order of corrosion resistance is: Cr2AlC > Ti2AlC > Ti3AlC2 > V2AlC.