Microstructure and Oxidation Behavior of Al and Al/NiCrAlY Coatings on Pure Titanium Alloy

To improve the oxidation resistance of Ti alloys, a NiCrAlY coating was deposited as diffusion barrier between aluminum overlay coating and pure Ti substrate by air plasma spraying method. The microstructure and oxidation behavior of Al coatings with and without NiCrAlY diffusion barrier were investigated in isothermal oxidation tests at 800 °C for 100 h. The results indicate that the weight gain of the Al/NiCrAlY coating was 4.16 × 10⁻⁵ mg² cm⁻⁴ s⁻¹, whereas that of the single Al coating was 9.52 × 10⁻⁵ mg² cm⁻⁴ s⁻¹ after 100 h oxidation. As compared with single Al coating, the Al/NiCrAlY coating revealed lower oxidation rate and excellent oxidation resistance by forming thin Al₂O₃ + NiO scales at overlaying coating/diffusion barrier and diffusion barrier/substrate interfaces. Meanwhile, the inward diffusion of Al and the outward diffusion of Ti were inhibited effectively by the NiCrAlY diffusion barrier.