Structural characterization of yttrium-implanted pure iron and steels oxidized at high temperature

Yttrium-implanted and unimplanted pure electrolytic iron, low-manganese and low-manganese-carbon steels were analyzed at high temperature (T = 700 degreesC) under oxygen partial pressure P-O2 = 0.04 Pa to observe their oxidation resistance. X-ray diffraction (XRD), reflected high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and glancing-angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD) analyses performed on yttrium-implanted samples before high-temperature oxidation tests show that yttrium implantation promotes the formation of Y2O3, and yttrium-iron mixed oxides (i.e.. FeYO3 and Y3Fe5O12) whatever the sample nature and Mn3O4 and YMnFeO4, in the case of samples containing manganese. In situ, high-temperature X-ray analyses allow the observation of the main compounds grown on yttrium-implanted and unimplanted samples during oxidation test at high temperature. The aim of this paper is to show that FeYO3 and Fe2YO4, in the case of pure iron, and YMnO3, in the case of steels, seem to be responsible for the improved corrosion resistance at high temperature.