Effect of the incorporating of refractory NbC precipitates in intermetallic iron-aluminide coatings on corrosion and high-temperature oxidation behavior

This study aims to investigate the effects of growing niobium carbide (NbC) particles into intermetallic iron-aluminide (FeAl) coatings on ductile cast iron (SGI) by thermo-reactive diffusion technique (TRD). The study compares the corrosion and oxidation behavior of the FeAl-NbC coatings with SGI, FeAl, and NbC coatings. Corrosion tests were conducted through polarization tests in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, while oxidation tests were performed at 900 °C for 4, 16, and 64 h. Before and after corrosion and oxidation tests, the coatings were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The findings show that FeAl coatings with NbC particles had lower graphite nodules, porosity, and surface roughness values compared to FeAl coatings. FeAl-NbC composite coatings provided better corrosion and oxidation resistance compared to untreated SGI, FeAl, and NbC coatings. The results of the comparative analysis of FeAl-NbC, FeAl, NbC, and untreated SGI specimens indicate that corrosion resistance in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and oxidation resistance at 900 °C followed the order FeAl-NbC > FeAl > NbC > SGI.