Cyclic oxidation of superalloys
The development of mathematical/computer models of cyclic oxidation in high-temperature alloys is described. The acceleration of oxidation attack caused by the spalling of protective oxide scales is discussed. The COREST paralinear model based on empirical data, designed by Barrett and Pressler, is found to be of limited value. Basic research on the spalling process in different alloy systems is reviewed, and the phenomenon is characterized: occurring mainly within the oxide, it is caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of oxide and metal and is a linear function of the total retained oxide. This information has been used in the development of the discrete oxide-spall model COSP and in its modification by addition of a diffusion-zone-profile model to predict the failure of components (Heckel and Nesbitt, unpublished). The COSP model is shown to produce good predictions of cyclic oxidation under a variety of conditions, using data from simple isothermic tests.