Review of the High-Temperature Oxidation of Iron and Carbon Steels in Air or Oxygen

This paper reviews previous studies on iron and steel oxidation in oxygen or air at high temperatures. Oxidation of iron at temperatures above 700°C follows the parabolic law with the development of a three-layered hematite/magnetite/wüstite scale structure. However, at temperatures below 700°C, inconsistent results have been reported, and the scale structures are less regular, significantly affected by sample-preparation methods. Oxidation of carbon steel is generally slower than iron oxidation. For very short-time oxidation, the scale structures are similar to those formed on iron, but for longer-time oxidation, because of the less adherent nature, the scale structures developed are typically much more complex. Continuous-cooling conditions, after very short-time oxidation, favor the retention of an adherent scale, suggesting that the method proposed by Kofstad for deriving the rate constant using continuous cooling or heating-oxidation data is more appropriate for steel oxidation. Oxygen availability has certain effects on iron and steel oxidation. Under continuous cooling conditions, the final scale structure is found to be a function of the starting temperature for cooling and the cooling rate. Different scale structures develop across the width of a hot-rolled strip because of the varied oxygen availability and cooling rates at different locations.