Atomic force microscopy studies of the surface scale formed during oxidation of INCOLOY MA956

The formation of thin oxide films on {111} and {110} single crystal specimens of Fe20Cr5Al based oxide dispersion strengthened alloy during the early stages of oxidation up to 1000 degrees C was investigated by atomic force microscopy. The atomic force microscopy results revealed the crystalline character of a corrosion layer. The alumina scale morphology (height and grain size of crystallites) was only slightly dependent on the crystallographic texture of the underlying bulk material. The results show that atomic force microscopy has the potential to study surface structure of oxide layers in the initial stages of an oxidation process.